Will of Fire
by arkady von kain
Summary: Elite Jounin Uzumaki Naruto returned victorious from the Sound War. Instead of a hero’s welcome, he is met only with scorn fueled by the fear that the demon he holds at bay is prepping its vessel for revenge against the village that imprisoned it.
1. Prologue

It should be noted that this is a crossover of Naruto and Metroanime's Pokegirl Universe. I don't own Naruto or the Pokegirl Concept. All other characters and this particular version of the PG Universe are my own. Enjoy.

**The Will of Fire**

**Prologue**

For as long as he could remember, the stares were cold. The hatred conveyed through their eyes cut him to the core. It had always been like this. Whispered mutters cursing his very existence followed him throughout the village as he walked toward the center. His destination was the Hokage Tower where all administration was done and the village's shinobi were assigned missions, gave their debriefings for missions completed, and the Hokage herself presided over the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

The figure slumped down the path with his head lowered to avoid the stares that pierced him and condemned his very presence. The villagers parted in front of him out of a mixture of malice and fear toward the blonde haired shinobi. They scurried away as if he carried a horrible disease that could be spread by his touch. He could feel their malevolent auras suffocating him as he dutifully stared at his feet. He reflected back to his childhood, remembering that he preferred their silent condemnation more than the violent beatings and the trashed apartments.

When he was four, the orphanage had kicked him out saying that he would corrupt the other children and would taint their very souls. He didn't understand why they called him a demon and beat him for every infraction, but he did understand that crying only made them hit harder. Then they left him at the front gate and closed the door. He sat there stunned, wondering what he did, and how he could make sure to never do it again. The tears started to come and he couldn't stop them, so he hid his head in his arms and cried as silently as possibly so as to not incur the wraith of passers-by. He had learned quickly that nobody wanted to help him. It was far better to be diligently ignored than to bring attention toward him. His bruises from the first time he asked for help had faded long ago, but the lesson remained.

After a while, he noticed someone standing above him, and, as he fearfully raised his blue eyes, his gaze met an imposing figure. The man before him was old and he frowned down on the boy. His body was clothed in numerous white robes trimmed in red and he wore a wide brimmed tri-pointed hat that shaded his wizened face from the sun. Despite the man's considerable age, he radiated with power. The boy knew that if the man wanted to hurt him, nothing could prevent it.

The old man kneeled in front of the child and spoke in a gentle tone. "Why are you crying, Naruto?" Naruto shrank further into himself and whimpered as the man extended his hand to him. The blonde closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable pain. Instead of the usual slaps, Naruto felt arms wrap around him and lift him up. Confused, the boy slowly opened his eyes and looked into the old man's dark brown ones. He didn't see any of the usual coldness or hate. He ventured a question of his own. "Are you gunna hit me?" he murmured. The elder raised an eyebrow, obviously not expecting that question.

"Why would I do that?" he asked. Naruto lowered his gaze to the man's chest and mumbled, "That's what everyone does." The old man was surprised to hear that, but didn't show it for long.

"No, Naruto, I am not going to hit you. My job is to protect everyone in this village. I won't ever hit you," he stated, smiling down at the small child in his arms. Upon hearing this, the child burst into tears again and wrapped his arms around the man as much as his short arms would allow. The old man held the boy in his arms and made soothing noises as he slowly rubbed gentle circles on the child's back. After a few minutes of sobbing, Naruto raised his head and asked, "Who are you? Why are you nice to me? Why do they hit me? What did I do? I promise I'll stop. I mean it, I'll be good. Really, I wi-" The old man interrupted Naruto with a finger over the boy's mouth. "I am the Hokage of this village, and you deserve having people be nice to you. The other villagers hit you because they don't understand. You haven't done anything wrong. You are a good boy. Do you understand, Naruto?" The boy nodded slowly.

"Unfortunately, the orphanage can't take care of you, and there isn't anyone who can take you in," the Hokage said solemnly. The truth was that no one _wanted _to take the boy in, not that they couldn't. He bent down and grabbed Naruto's scant belongings consisting of a few sets of cloths in the most obnoxious orange he had ever seen, and began to walk down the path. "Because you can't be without a place to live, I have arranged an apartment for you. Would you like that?" Naruto smiled so wide his eyes shut. With the three tattoo-like whisker marks on both cheeks, and the blonde spikes of hair the boy looked remarkably like a cross between a grinning fox and a blonde sea urchin. "I would love that, Ojisan!"

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at an old rundown apartment complex. The Hokage carried the boy upstairs to the third floor and stopped in front of the door furthest down the walkway near the rear of the complex. He set Naruto down and removed a key from his pocket, inserted it into the knob, and unlocked the door. He opened the door and ushered Naruto in side. Naruto immediately, ran around and looked at everything inside. It was a small apartment consisting of a living room/kitchen combination painted in a faded olive green that presumably continued throughout the small space. Along the west wall stood a refrigerator, countertop with a drawer and cabinet, stove, and a washing machine. In the center of the room were a small square table and two plain but sturdy wooden chairs that matched the table. On the wall opposite the front door was a small window that viewed the path beside the complex. To the right a door stood open and Naruto could see the bed in the far right corner of the room. He ran into the bedroom and jumped on the bed and sighed. It was much more comfortable that the cot he was assigned at the orphanage. On the left wall, Naruto could see a through a doorway that led into a small bathroom boasting a toilet, sink, and shower stall. Next to the bathroom door stood small chest of drawers the same color as the kitchen table and chairs.

The blond boy jumped up off the bed and ran back into the common room and stood before the Elder. "Is this all mine?" Naruto asked, his eyes shining with hope. The Hokage couldn't help but smile as he nodded. Naruto jumped around happily until his stomach grumbled loudly, announcing his hunger to the world. The foxy blonde grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

"Let's get something to eat," the old man suggested. He turned and walked out the door with Naruto hot on his heels. The Hokage locked the apartment and gave the key to Naruto, who slipped it into a pocket. The Elder held out his hand to Naruto, and the boy beamed as he took the proffered hand and walked beside the older man. Along the way, Naruto noticed that the villages blatantly ignore him, and he was fine with that, but they bowed reverently as the Hokage passed. He wondered at the respectful gazes aimed at the old man. He craned his neck up toward the figure walking beside him, staring openly as he tried to figure out why the villagers looked at him with such praise. He didn't feel jealous because being in the old man's presence kept the others from looking at him with cold eyes, but he wanted to know why they acknowledged him so highly. Noticing the youngster's stare, the Hokage looked down at Naruto and raised an eyebrow. The blonde quickly averted his gaze to the ground, and felt embarrassed at being caught gaping.

"What is it, Naruto?"

Looking back into the elder's eyes, the boy asked, "Why do they look at you like that?" The old Hokage looked puzzled as he looked around. Noticing the people the duo passed giving him respectful bows and reverent greetings, his age wrinkled face brightened as he realized what the young orphan meant.

"I am the Hokage, the leader of this village." he said at length. The blonde seemed thoughtful for a moment and then, "How do you be a Hokage?"

"You must be the strongest ninja in the village and must know over 1000 ninja techniques. You must also carry the hopes and dreams of everyone in the village, and want to help all of them become a reality. The will of fire must be firmly imbedded into you, so that you may pass it to everyone in the village," the Hokage replied. Naruto faced scrunched up in disbelief as he shouted, "You're the strongest in the village!" The old man chuckled at the blonde's response and simply nodded.

They continued walking in silence until the Hokage led the youth toward a small ramen stand. Naruto looked at the stands size and frowned. The stand was about ten feet wide, containing a counter with eight stools bolted into a hardwood dais. The dais extended just passed the roof of the little shop, which had a plastic flap hanging down to give the customers a little privacy from the path it was situated in the middle of. The Hokage ducked under the flap and took a stool in the center of the shop and guided Naruto to the stool next to him. The old man greeted the middle aged chef behind the counter and ordered two miso ramens for himself and Naruto. As they waited for there food, both remained silent, lost in their own thoughts.

"I am going to be Hokage!" The Hokage started at this quiet declaration and turned to face his young companion.

"Why do you want to be Hokage?" Naruto was silent for a moment as the old man looked on patiently. Naruto face him and stated quietly, "I want everyone to acknowledge me, and if I'm the Hokage, they'll have to recognize my strength. I'm going to be Hokage and then everyone'll have to acknowledge me." The elder stared into the boy eyes intensely, and saw a burning determination that shone brightly. The Hokage then nodded, facing the bowl of noodles set in front of him.

"Becoming Hokage is a long and dangerous road. It will be difficult and very trying. Are you sure that's what you want?" the village leader asked at length. The young boy grinned wickedly and stated, "Yes. I don't care how hard it is. I _will _become the strongest Hokage ever." The elder returned the grin and declared, "Then I guess I have no choice but to enroll you into the Ninja Academy. Don't disappoint me. I'd like to retire sometime." The boy's grin suddenly disappeared being replace by solemn expression.

"I don't take back my words."

The old man noted the seriousness of the situation and replied just as solemnly, "I know." The Hokage quickly finish his food, paid for their meals and turned to leave, regarding Naruto a final time. "I have to leave now. Someone will be by to deliver the money you need for groceries and teach you how to shop on your own. After that, they will leave the money in an envelope on your table every week. Do you have any questions, Naruto?" The young blonde shook his head and the elder man nodded and left. Naruto finish his meal slowly, and returned to his apartment and waited for the person showing him how to shop to arrive.

Naruto chuckled sadly at the memory, earning a few glares from the people he passed. The old Hokage died eight years later in an epic battle with his traitorous student, Orochimaru. The blonde missed the kind old man terribly. He had been the first to acknowledge his existence, and he treated Naruto like a grandson. The whiskered shinobi wished the elder had had more time to spend with him, but it couldn't be helped.

An old woman spat on the pathway in front of Naruto's sandaled feet. The blonde stopped and looked up. The elderly woman looked at him with such contempt that, if looks could kill, he would have liquefied on the spot. Naruto simply smiled his fox smile and continued on his way, ignoring the comment of, "Damned demon child! I hope they execute you."

Naruto always smiled through these comments. Despite how much it hurt, he wouldn't let it show. Besides, he had been through much, much worse. After he moved into his apartment, the beatings became less frequent, but they never stopped. Sometimes, some of the villagers got a little too drunk and followed him home. Those times weren't pleasant as he was hit, kicked and thrown around his tiny apartment until he lost consciousness. However, he would wake up the next day and the bruises and cuts would be gone, the only reminder being the lingering soreness for a few hours after waking.

He wondered why he healed so much faster than the other children until he turned twelve. He had just failed the Genin exam at the Academy for the third time, and he was depressed that he hadn't become a ninja. While he was sitting on his favorite swing in front of the Academy watching the other children celebrate with their families for graduating, he stared enviously at there forehead protectors proving they were now Genin, the beginning rank for the village's ninjas.

He noticed movement next to him and turned his head up to see one of his Academy teachers standing on the branch his swing hung from. Mizuki-sensei had always treated Naruto fairly kindly, so the blonde merely regarded the silver haired Chuunin inquisitively. Mizuki kept his gaze on the new Genins and spoke softly, "Let go somewhere and talk, okay?" Naruto nodded mutely as they left the Academy and took to the roofs. They traveled the rooftops for a few minutes until Mizuki stopped them on top of a building that gave a fantastic view of the sunset as it sank behind the walls of the village. Oranges, reds, and pinks danced a beautiful waltz around the shining yellow orb in the epicenter of the grand performance. They sat in silence for a while, watching the sun slowly disappear.

Naruto didn't remember much of the conversation that took place, but he did remember when Mizuki told him that if he took a specific scroll from the Hokage's Tower and learned the techniques inside he could pass the Genin exam and become a ninja. The blonde had been so excited about getting another chance to be a ninja, he didn't think twice. He snuck in, took the scroll, and ran to meet Mizuki at the place in the woods outside the village the chuunin had given him directions to. He thought back to how he only learned one technique from the scroll before his other Academy teacher, Iruka-sensei showed up demanding to know why he took the scroll. After that, things moved too fast for Naruto to recall correctly. Iruka pushed him out of the way as several kunai pierce the teacher in his arms, legs, and shoulders. Naruto look to where the projectiles came from to see Mizuki standing haughtily atop a tree branch.

That was when Naruto found out why the villagers hated him. Mizuki casually ignored Iruka's protests and told Naruto about the Kyuubi, the Nine-tailed Demon Fox that attacked Hidden Leaf Village and decimated it, killing most of the shinobi that tried to defend their home. He told him that even the Fourth Hokage everyone hailed as a hero for defeating the demon couldn't really kill it. It was far too powerful to be defeated by a mere human. So, instead, the Fourth gave his life to seal it inside a newborn baby boy. A law was passed to never talk about the sealing, especially to the container of the Demon Fox. But, most importantly, no one was allowed to tell him that he was the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Naruto didn't understand, and it showed. Mizuki laughed hard for a moment.

"Don't you get it? No one is allowed to tell you that you are the Kyuubi, Naruto. But now, I'll kill you and take the scroll. With the techniques inside, I will be able to do whatever I want. Now give me the scroll!" Naruto hugged the scroll tightly to his chest and looked on as Mizuki pulled one of two large Fuuma shurikens from the holster on his back, and with a powerful throw, it hurtled toward the demon vessel. The blonde was too stunned to move and he watched as the weapon loomed closer. He was suddenly tackled to the ground as he heard metal slam against flesh. Shocked, he looked up into Iruka's eyes. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. "You must have been so alone," he said through his quiet sobs, "I'm so sorry, Naruto. If I had been a better person, you wouldn't have had to suffer the loneliness of being an orphan. I know what it's like. I'm so sorry…"

Confused and scared, Naruto bolted from underneath him to hide further in the forest, knowing Mizuki was following him. He ducked behind a tree and stifled his breathes in an effort to not reveal his hiding spot. After a moment he heard the sound of a fight nearby and Iruka landed roughly against the other side of the tree. As he cowered behind the tree, he overheard his two senseis talking. Mizuki claimed that the demon brat and he were alike. He told Iruka that fox demon would use the scroll and attack the village. Naruto's heart sank hearing Iruka's reply, "Your right, the Kyuubi would use the scroll." Naruto began to cry. Iruka thought he was a demon too.

"But Naruto isn't the damn Fox. He's one of my excellent students. He is Naruto Uzumaki, and not the Demon he houses. He is a hero for containing the Demon. He's not like you, traitor!" The silver haired chuunin laughed loudly, mocking Iruka. He stopped abruptly, removing the last Fuuma Shuriken from his back holster and began spinning it in preparation to attack, and spoke, "Then… I guess I'll kill you and then the brat and take the scroll."

On the other side of the tree, Iruka's words finally sank in. He looked around the tree to see Mizuki charge toward the helpless Chuunin teacher slumped against the trunk of Naruto's hiding place. Naruto burst from behind the tree, running full speed toward Mizuki and kneed the unsuspecting ninja in the chin. The shuriken flew from the Chuunin's grasp and flew harmlessly into the surrounding trees. Naruto landed and watched as the traitor slowly stood up. Looking at his attacker, Mizuki regarded the demon vessel's angry scowl with a bemused expression.

"Don't touch Iruka-sensei. If you do, I'll kill you," Naruto growled out. Mizuki frowned and spoke, with an edge in his voice, "What do you think you can do? I'm an elite Chuunin. Brats like you are easy for me to kill."

"Try it, trash. I'll return the pain a thousand fold!" Naruto wove his hand through the newly learned seals for the jutsu he learns moments before Iruka found him. As his hand stopped on the final hand seal, he cried out, "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" A huge amount of smoke filled the surrounding forest as several hundred clones of Naruto appeared. Mizuki looked around fearfully as all around him were Narutos. In the trees, in front of him, behind, to sides, everywhere he looked, there were Narutos all grinning menacingly or taunting him. The young boy wasted no time as he commanded all his clones to attack. The forest was soon filled with the sound of Mizuki's pained screams and the sound of flesh hitting flesh.

After Naruto dispelled his clones with a loud pop, Iruka presented him with his own forehead protector, telling Naruto that he graduated. Anbu collected the badly injured traitor, and Naruto and Iruka left the clearing to return the pilfered scroll.

Shaking his head, the blonde brought his thoughts back to the present. It had been seven years since he graduated the Academy. He tugged absently at the Jounin vest he now wore. He had trained hard, rising through the ranks, from Genin to Chuunin, then to elite Jounin. During his service to the village, he had achieved some amazing things and gained acknowledgement from a few of his peers in the village. However, he had long ago realized that his dream to become Hokage would never be a reality. While he had gained some recognition for his strength and unwavering determination, he knew the villagers as a whole would never accept him. Regardless, he kept training, kept getting stronger, kept trying to prove that he wasn't the demon he held at bay. He continued to protect the village with everything he had, and more. Naruto had even put and end to the war with the Hidden Village of Sound, single handedly, by confronting and destroying their leader, the infamous and powerful, Leaf Village S-class traitor-nin, Orochimaru and his subordinate, Yakushi Kabuto.

Instead of returning a hero, he was damned as a risk to the village. If he could defeat Orochimaru, who would be able to stop him if he attacked the village? Naruto snorted at the implication. He had given his word that he would always remain loyal to Hidden Leaf, and Naruto Uzumaki does not take back his word. Period.

The Village Counsel was apparently unconvinced. Naruto silenced his thought and continued toward the Tower. Today the Counsel would make their final decision to his fate. The blonde shinobi sighed and kept walking; the cold stares following his every move.

0o0o0o0o0

Tsunade never wanted to be Hokage. When the buxom female left Hidden Leaf Village twenty years ago, she just wanted to sip a little sake, relax, and gamble, and that's exactly what she did, until Naruto Uzumaki walked into her life. Her first impressions of the blonde ninja, seven years ago, were not good. He was loud, annoying, brash, and rather dim. Her fellow teammate Jaraiya had brought him along to find her and tell her of old man Hokage's death at the hands of their ex-teammate, Orochimaru. Now the village needed a new Hokage badly, with the threat of war with Hidden Sound Village looming overhead, and Tsunade was the only person strong and intelligent enough to fill the position.

She refused.

Naruto had listened for all of two minutes before he loudly proclaimed his dream to be Hokage, and boasted that Hidden Leaf didn't need some "drunken old hag with a gambling addiction to warm the chair for him in the meantime." Tsunade didn't take that sitting down. She slammed her hands down on the table they sat at, yelling, "Alright, brat! Let's take this outside!"

Tsunade chuckled lightly at the memory. She remembered how Naruto surprised her, watching him form chakra into an imperfect version of the Fourth's legendary jutsu, the Rasengan, and charged. Tsunade smirked as she dodged the sphere of swirling blue chakra the Genin thrust at her and used only her index finger to knock him back twenty feet removing his forehead protector in the process. As the fox boy got up and prepared to charge again, Tsunade yelled, "Wait!" she grinned evilly as continued on, "Let's make a wager. If you can master that technique in one week, I'll not only return to the village and be Hokage, I'll give you this necklace." She removed the pendant from around her neck and lifted it for Naruto and Jaraiya to see. It was a small light green gem stone a half an inch long, and a quarter inch wide and deep. A slim leather rope ran through the top of the gem, and it gleam with a dull malevolence. It had been given to her by the founder of their village, the Shodaime, her grandfather. The small pendant was worth enough to buy a small country.

The boy grinned, "You're on! Be prepared to lose that necklace." Naruto retrieve his forehead protector, then turned to the white-haired Sannen, Jaraiya, and yelled, "I need a place to train! I've got a bet to win, and Naruto Uzumaki doesn't take back his words!" Naruto dragged the older man off as Tsunade smirked.

The golden haired Hokage laughed softly to herself as she looked around her office. Naruto had won the bet alright. The day Naruto was supposed to meet Tsunade, Orochimaru and his apprentice, Kabuto, attacked them. The whiskered ninja proved that he mastered the move using the swirling chakra sphere glowing in his hand to knock Kabuto spinning back forty feet into a boulder. If anyone else had been on the receiving end of the deadly Spiral Bullet, nothing would have been left to identify.

Immediately following that, Naruto had selflessly jumped in front of Orochimaru's sword to protect Tsunade. That provided enough of an opening for the Legendary Medical Ninja to attack leaf traitor and drive him off. She quickly ran to Naruto's prone form, activated a healing jutsu, and proceeded to heal his wounds. When she finished, Tsunade slumped. Exhausted of nearly all her chakra, she slowly lifted Naruto's head and placed the pendant around his neck. She no longer just saw him as a "young brat tagging along with her perverted teammate"; he was the spitting image of her deceased younger brother. After picking themselves up and returning to the nearby town, they rested until they could travel back to Hidden Leaf and instate Tsunade as the Godaime Hokage.

So here she sat, awaiting the door to be slammed open for the last time, and for the blonde teen to yell, "Hiya, Obaachan," at the top of his lungs. She had to fight back the tears that threatened to spill, knowing she was losing another precious person. Just like her brother and fiancé, Naruto was going to be taken from her. The only two consolations she had were, at least this time, she could say goodbye, and he had a chance to find happiness somewhere else.

A soft knock interrupted her dark thoughts. Quickly composing herself, she sat up and calmly called, "Enter." The door opened slowly, revealing Naruto as he quietly entered and closed the door behind him. As he approached her desk, Tsunade observed the changes seven years had wrought upon Naruto. He was no longer the short boy she had encountered all those years ago, standing a couple inches over six feet. His shoulders were broad and his bare arms rippled with lean muscle gained from the near fanatical devotion to his training. His blonde hair fell in long slender spikes just below neckline, framing his chiseled features and giving him a look of carefree nobility which the whisker-like birthmarks only seemed to enhance. The dark orange collar of his sleeveless shirt disappeared into the green Jounin flak vest, and was complimented by the dark orange strips going down the outsides of the loose black pants he wore. Black ninja sandals adorned his feet, and, all in all, the simple look suited him. The only out of place was the grim expression on his face.

"So, the Council has decided?" Although a question, Naruto seemed to give the impression he already knew the answer. Judging by the way he entered, and his unusually somber attitude, he probably did.

Tsunade sighed. "Yes. The _Counsel_," she spat the word, "has come to the conclusion that you are too much of a risk to the village." She hated every word she just spoke. It burned her throat like acid and tasted bitterer than any sake.

Naruto just nodded. After a long, tense silence, he ventured, "So what happens now? I doubt they'll let me leave the village. Will I be executed?" Though stated calmly, the Hokage could easily see the fear in his eyes. She hastened to reassure him.

"No! I would never allow that! Ever!" she yelled. Naruto raised an eyebrow and asked, "So then what are they going to do to me?" Tsunade got up and rounded her desk, leaning against the front of it as she crossed her arms. "There is a jutsu that can open a rift in reality. Theoretically, one could enter that rift and travel to another world similar to ours. Mind you that it is theoretical. But it was the only option I would agree to. This is the only way I see for you to be free and have a chance at happiness. I won't execute you. I can't release you from the village, but I won't seal you away like some evil creature."

Naruto gave her a rueful smile, whispering, "Thanks, Baachan…" That did it. Tsunade couldn't hold the tears back anymore as she was wracked with sobs. The spiky-haired ninja quick crossed the empty space between them and wrapped her in a protective embrace.

"I tried, Naruto, I really did. But they wouldn't…. I couldn't…. They won't listen…. Why? Why can't they see you… just you…?" As the Hokage's rant descended into incoherency, Naruto said quietly, "It's okay. I'll be alright. I'll do it, and then no one will have to worry. This village has been through enough, without having to worry about the Kyuubi coming back. If doing this will make them feel safe, then it's worth it." The sobbing woman surprised him when she violently pushed him away and started to scream violently at him.

"GODDAMMIT, Naruto. Why can't you, just this once, be selfish? You knew something like this would happen! Why couldn't you just run away? How can you stand there and be okay when them just throwing you away like an old toy! Why do you have to be so fucking loyal? Are you that stubborn? Just leave right now! I'll make sure you can get away safely. I'll fight them all off myself if I half to… just… please... just go…" she pleaded, voice hoarse for crying and yelling. Her eyes begged that he go.

"I can't. You know I can't. But more than that, I won't. I refuse to prove them right." Her heart sank at Naruto's solemn words. Knowing that was exactly what he would say didn't make them any easier to hear. She lowered her head, and stared at the floor between them. The fox teen just looked on as the sobs quieted. Tsunade gradually collected herself and slowly stood. When she raised her head, her eyes where bloodshot and puffy. She stared into Naruto's eyes, and, after a moment nodded. Smiling slightly, he returned the nod.

"Thanks for caring, Tsunade-hime," he said. Naruto walked over and embraced her tightly, she returned the embrace, whispering, "You are like a son to me, and I love you. Thank you for saving me. I am so, so proud of you." She could feel tears on her neck and knew he was crying. Her grip tightened when she heard him say, "I love you, too, Kaasan."

They stayed like that for several long moments, steeling themselves for what was to come. Wiping her face, Tsunade walk to the door and turned to face her son, "Are you ready?" Clearing his own face of tears, Naruto smiled wryly, "As I'll ever be!" Together they left the office and proceeded down the hallway until they reached a set of double doors. After a swift nod from Naruto, the Hokage quickly open the doors and led him inside.

The fox shinobi took a second to let his eyes adjust to the dim light and observed his surrounding. Twelve figures were kneeling in a circle about fifteen feet in diameter. Their hands were forming a hand seal unknown to him as they channeled chakra into a complex circular seal on the floor. However, his attention was held by the glowing blue sphere in the middle of the ring. The seven foot tall orb floated about six inches off the floor, and it seemed to flicker slightly.

Not wanting to drag the situation out any longer, Naruto walked up to the sphere. He turned to the woman he regarded as a mother and grinned his trademark foxy grin, saying, "Goodbye, Kaasan. Thanks for everything." Tsunade smiled weakly, "Goodbye son. I hope you find what you couldn't have here." He nodded, still grinning that infernal grin, turned and walked into the sphere. As soon as he faded, the figures released the jutsu.

As she watched the sphere dissipate, Tsunade couldn't help but think that Hidden Leaf just lost its "will of fire" to the crippling pressure of hate.


	2. The Arrival

It should be noted that this is a crossover of Naruto and Metroanime's Pokegirl Universe. I don't own Naruto or the Pokegirl Concept. All other characters and this particular version of the PG Universe are my own. Enjoy.

**The Arrival**

Naruto could be excused for thinking he was in a dream. Upon coming to, his body screamed in pain, and he seemed to have a few thousand exploding tags going off in succession inside his head. Slowly, he attempted to open his eyes; only to wrench them shut again under the light's blinding assault. However, Naruto was no stranger to pain; it was an occupational hazard of any trained ninja, so he slowly reopened his eyes and forced them to stay open.

The sky above shone a merry blue as a few clouds lazily rode the breeze. Grunting through the pain, the blonde shinobi raised himself into a sitting position. He froze mid-motion and let his jaw hang to its maximum depth.

The fox boy found himself on the main pathway in a town with buildings of similar design to Hidden Leaf, but it was the people surrounding him that caused his shock. While he noticed a few normal looking men, his attention was focused on the figures beside them. Next to each male was at least one woman in scantily clad clothing, if they wore any at all. Some men had two, three, or as many as six women surrounding him. Most of the females seemed human, but small things didn't fit. Some had cat ears and a matching tail; others sported a more rodent like appearance, while still others resembled the Inuzuka clan with their canine like attributes. The less human ones had fur covering strategic places on their bodies in various colors, all accentuating their rather apparent assets. Others appeared completely human, save for the lack of decent coverings, but they all had one thing in common; every female was gorgeous. Period. Not one of them was anything less than stunningly beautiful. Long legs, generous curves, exotic coloring; it seemed Naruto had arrived in Jariaya's version of heaven.

Taking a second to compose himself, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, exhaled, and reopened them. Nothing changed. He scanned the crowd around him and noticed his audience looking at him in astonishment. After a moment, one of the men approached him, arms in front of him showing Naruto that he was unarmed. A brown furred cat-like woman followed at his heels, eyes shining with curiosity. The man himself was around five feet, eight inches, medium build, with chestnut hair and wore a pair of wire-frame rectangular glasses covering dark green eyes. He sported a white lab-coat over a beige button up shirt and a pair of brown slacks and on his feet were a pair of brown loafers. The look reminded Naruto of one of the many doctors he had dealt with on his many visits to the hospital. The blonde shinobi stood still as the man spoke.

"Can you understand me?" At Naruto's cautious nod, the chestnut haired man smiled. "Good, are you all right? That looked to be a nasty fall." At the Naruto's puzzled expression, the man explained, "There was a loud crash of thunder overhead and I looked up when I heard it. A blue gate opened up and you fell out of it. It had to be at least 30 feet up. You landed rather ungraciously. Are you injured?"

'That explains why I hurt all over,' the ninja thought wryly. Taking stock of himself, Naruto noted no broken bones and he wasn't bleeding anywhere. Turning back to the man, Naruto stated, "Nothing broken. Just a few bruises. Nothing that won't go away in a few hours. Thanks for your concern, Mister …?"

"Doctor Thomas Bennet. Pleased to meet you." The man offered a hand. Naruto took the hand and gave it a brief shake. "And this is Yumi," the doctor motioned to the feline-like woman behind him. She gingerly raised a hand and gave him a small wave, to which he gave a small nod in return. "Naruto Uzumaki. You wouldn't be able to tell me where I am, exactly, would you?"

"Your in the town of Nohara, in Edo League," the doctor stated. Naruto just nodded, thinking, 'I guess the jutsu worked. Now what?'

Dr. Bennet observed the new arrival for a moment before asking, "If you don't mind my asking, how did you get here?" The fox ninja frowned, thinking, 'I don't really know how they'll react to a dimensional traveler, but I guess I'll have to tell someone eventually. Seeing as how I have no idea why the women here are naked, not to mention just plain odd, I'll need someone to explain what the hell is going on.' Decision reached, Naruto explained (with the bluntness he was famous for), "I walked through a dimensional rift created by a jutsu, and next thing I know, I wake up here. I have no idea where I am, or why the hell all the women here have ears and tails and aren't wearing any clothes." Realizing that somewhere in the middle of his explanation he began to yell, Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, and said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to start yelling."

The doctor smiled, "It's quite alright. I'd be a little put out too if I were in your situation." He looked around and noted that the authorities were approaching. Turning back to Naruto, he asked seriously, "Before the police arrive, I have to ask, are you a danger?" The blonde looked directly into Thomas's eyes and answered seriously, "Only to people that try to attack me or injure anyone that I care about." Dr. Bennet searched Naruto's eyes intently, and, apparently finding what he was looking for, nodded once. Turning to the approaching Officer Jenny and her tamer, Thomas smiled.

"Hello, Kenji. How's it going today?" The tamer turned to the doctor, also smiling, and replied, "Just fine, thank you. Out getting some fresh air, huh?" The man had a stocky build, with large broad shoulders and plain generic facial features. He wore the standard navy blue officer uniform, consisting of a button up shirt with pockets on both breasts and dress pants. Above the left breast pocket, a gleaming silver police badge was displayed. Standing next to Kenji was a woman with dark green hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a matching police uniform and remained quiet as her tamer and the doctor talked, eyeing Naruto warily.

As if noticing her gaze, Kenji turned to Naruto while he continued to address Thomas. "So is he a Hopper?"

"Yep, and I think it is safe to assume he won't hurt anyone. I'll take responsibility," the chestnut haired man replied. Kenji remained quite for a moment, studying the new arrival. After inspecting the blonde, he spoke, "What's your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, sir," the ninja returned. Having spent years in a village run like a military, Naruto could easily recognize authority. He may have disrespected his sensei and the Hokage in his native village, but he only did so because they were like family and it was more playful banter than anything else. With very few exceptions, the blonde would always act professional with superiors he hadn't gotten to know yet… until they proved they didn't deserve it, or, more rarely, became part of a small group Naruto consider precious to him.

Acknowledging Naruto's show of respect, Kenji turned away, saying, "Don't cause any trouble." Followed by the green haired lady, the police officer began walking back the way he came. Confused, the fox boy faced the doctor, asking, "What just happened?"

Chuckling, the Thomas replied, "I'll tell you all about it on the way." Naruto scrunched up his face, "On the way where?"

"Home."

0o0o0o0o0

"Nohara isn't a large town by any means, housing around five thousand permanent residents," the doctor stated. "However, the town itself is situated on the main road between Tokai to the north and Matenrou to the south." Naruto listened to the doctor's description with half an ear as he absorbed his surroundings. The center thoroughfare was littered with inns, restaurants, and many types of supply store. Many men and augmented women bustled around to and fro shopping, eating, or just strolling. The buildings in the center of town were built close together creating many alleys, and giving the town a clustered feel. As Naruto kept pace with the doctor, his attention turned to woman beside them. He hadn't been able to really observe her before and now he took the time to do so.

Naruto noted that the cat ears on the top of her head weren't for show as they twitched occasionally, listening to the crowd around him. His eyes moved lower, taking in her features. Her soft brown hair fell in waves down the smooth skin of her back, her shapely breasts(c-cup probably) perkily defied gravity as they bounced with her every step At the small of her back a brown furred prehensile tail waved lazily behind her as it would for any cat from his world. Her shapely posterior arrested his attention for a moment before his eyes travel the length of her sculpted legs.

As the blonde shinobi raised his gaze, he opened his senses and concentrated on her. Although she appeared rather fragile initially, his chakra probe told a different story. Yumi's had enough chakra for an elite Genin or possibly lower Chuunin. That combined with the grace of her movement told him that she was far stronger than he expected.

Noticing the scrutiny, Yumi turned to Naruto, "See something you like?" The blonde averted his gaze, attempting to stammer out an apology. He stopped when he heard her laugh and turned to look at her, confusion written all over his face. Suppressing her enjoyment of his shyness, she said, "I take it you've never seen a pokegirl." Upon seeing his confusion deepen, she said, "Don't worry. Doc will explain everything to you at the lab."

Hearing himself being referred to, Thomas stopped talking and looked at his pokegirl and the hopper. "What?" he asked. Yumi waved him away, saying, "I was just telling our guest that you would explain everything once we get home." The doctor nodded, and continued down the street.

The rest of the trip was quiet. Naruto let his feet walk on autopilot as he tried to think. He didn't know what to expect when he arrived here, but this place was definitely not something he ever could have fathomed. He had no doubt that Jaraiya would take to this place like a fish to water. With plenty of eye candy to look at, the lecherous peeper would have been occupied for years.

As he looked around, the shinobi noticed that the passers-by gave him curious glances. Some of the bolder ones took in his features and smiled, winked, or whistled appreciatively. He wondered if this was what it was like to be normal. This was definitely not what he was used to. However, Naruto would take the warm, curious looks over the cold, hard stares from his native village any day of the week.

Naruto frowned as his thoughts turned toward Hidden Leaf. Since becoming a warrior for the village, he had worked hard to prove that he wasn't the demon sealed inside him. He had managed to get a few to notice, but, in the end, it wasn't enough. They still sent him away.

But now what? It was apparent that this place was vastly different from his dimension. He wondered what others surprises were waiting for him. But mostly, he wondered if he could be happy here?

After everything he went through, he hoped so.

0o0o0o0o0

The doctor led them south to the edge of town and then turned east down a small dirt road leading into a small wooded area inside the town's wall. As they entered the copse, Naruto noticed a large building hidden inside the grove. The structure stood two stories tall, and it was painted a forest green, presumably to blend in more with the surroundings. It was rather long, extending about five hundred feet in width. The ninja couldn't see how far back the complex went, but he guessed it would be comparable to its girth. He followed his two guides to the only door visible, which was situated on the far left of the wall facing the path they walked on. Upon reaching the door, the chestnut haired man punched in an impressively long combination on the keypad next to the door. It slide open silently, and the doctor led Naruto inside.

Thomas led them down the small entrance hallway, passing a few door on either side into an open common room. The spacious interior held a couple of beige comfortable looking couches on either side of a small polished wooden coffee table. The wall held a few beautiful paintings and intricate tapestries, depicting various battles between several more odd looking women, to give the room a comfortable feel. A doorway on the wall opposite the entrance hallway stood open through which a kitchen could be seen. To the left, a brick fireplace took pride of place in the center of the wall; a cozy fire merrily blazed, lighting the room in warm oranges and reds. Another hallway on the right led further into the bowels of the complex.

Dr. Bennett motioned his guest to the couches. Naruto sat in one while the doctor sat opposite him. Yumi continued on into the kitchen, and soon, they could here the soft clattering of cookware. After a moment of silence, Thomas began their discussion.

"I assume you have a lot of questions, but before I explain, I have a few queries of my own. Is that okay?" At Naruto's nod, he continued. "First, I want to know exactly why you walked into a dimensional gate. Can you tell me?"

The blonde sighed explosively before responding, "I was banished from my village for being a danger to their peace of mind." Thomas kept his face neutral. "Why are you a danger to there peace of mind?"

Naruto winced and lowered his head. He knew there was no getting around this. He needed information from this man, and he didn't want to lie to him. Bracing himself for the cold eyes he was sure his host would grace him with, he said, "I have a greater demon sealed inside me."

The silence following that statement was suffocating to the blonde. He stared at his sandaled feet, not daring to meet the doctor gaze.

"Is the seal unstable?" asked Thomas. Naruto's answer was mumble, "No, it's secure. The demon will remain sealed until I die. Then it will cross into the afterlife with me."

"So what's the problem?"

Surprised Naruto lifted his head. He had expected fear, loathing, or at the least uncomfortably, not the simple curiosity the question portrayed. The blondes asked, "You're not afraid?" Thomas raised an eyebrow, "Should I be?"

Naruto's jaw dropped. His emotions went into overdrive. This was the first time he had told anyone about the demon. In the Leaf, no one his age was allowed to know about the sealing, and so he never told his peers his secret, but those old enough to have survived to fox had given him a glimpse of how they would react. With the exception of Tsunade, everyone who knew his secret and cared for him was still wary as though the demon would burst from his navel at any moment and continue its rampage where it left off. Now, he had told this man, and he didn't even blink! Naruto had to fight back a few tears that threatened fall.

Noticing this reaction, the doctor said, "Maybe you should tell the whole story from the beginning." Collecting himself, Naruto began told Thomas about the sealing, how the Yondiame Hokage sacrificed his life to seal the Kyuubi no Kitsune into Naruto the day he was born. He talked about his childhood and the stares and beatings. As soon as the words started flowing, the blonde ninja couldn't stop them as he relayed every detail of his life. He talked and continued talking, no longer paying attention to anything else as he lost himself to the story.

For his part, Thomas remained quiet. He listened to every word, and as his guest rambled on, his anger built. He heard of Naruto's induction into the ranks of ninjas, smiling slightly at his happiness found within his Genin cell, only to curse inwardly as he heard of the blonde's betrayal when his best friend tried to kill him in an insane gambit for power. His anger abated somewhat at hearing about Naruto's apprenticeship to one of the most powerful, and the most perverted, ninja of his village. He listened, and as the story washed over him, he began to feel attached to this young man in front of him. This boy had been through so much. Time after time, fate seemed to deal him a losing hand, but Naruto had never given up. Not once in his story did he mention quitting. It was almost as though the blonde had no concept of surrender. Thomas found that to be rather inspiring. He vowed to himself that, no matter what, he would make sure Naruto knew that had at least one friend in his corner that would never betray him, one person that he could count always count on. He deserved at least that much.

As the shinobi's story winded down, the blonde relayed the Counsel's decision and his conversation with Tsunade. He ended with, "So I walked into the gate, and the rest you know." His attention returned to man in front of him. However, the doctor's eyes were closed in concentration, and Naruto could tell he was processing all he was told.

Naruto nearly jumped out of his seat as a pair of arms embraced him from behind. Turning slightly, his eyes found Yumi's. He never noticed her enter the room, but she had apparently heard most of his biography. She was crying softly, murmuring that it was okay now, and he was safe here. He awkwardly returned the embrace, and, after a moment, hearing her soothing murmurs broke his resolve, and the tears came. He couldn't stop them, and honestly, he didn't want to. Refusing to let go of the blonde, Yumi crawled over the couch and held the tortured man tighter. As she cradled his head to her chest, Naruto bawled unabashedly, releasing all the years of pent up emotions. The pain, hatred, loneliness, fear, self-loathing, all of it slowly fell away from him with each racking sob, and he lost himself in the cathartic embrace and just let go of it all.

Dr. Thomas Bennett looked on silently, his own tears falling unnoticed as he watched them.

0o0o0o0o0

Ninjas are trained from day one to check their surroundings before opening their eyes or beginning to move. After six years of war, that training had become engraved into Naruto instincts. First, his mind became half aware so that it could interpret sensory input. He felt that his body was lying on something soft, and his chakra senses alerted him that there were two faint signatures nearby. His nose began operating next, detecting odors similar to bacon and eggs, but the scent was a little heavier and he couldn't quite place it. Hearing faint whispers of conversation, Naruto's sleep addled mind tried to bring all the clues together.

The ninja's eyes snapped open as he bolted upright on the couch. Noticing that he was still in Doc's sitting room, Naruto realized that he hadn't dreamt yesterday's bizarre occurrences. As the events from the day before crashed into his head, he took a moment to calm his racing heart.

He assumed that he had fallen asleep while crying because he didn't remember lying down. The fox teen stood and slowly stretched himself before walking slowly toward the kitchen. He had no idea what to expect from Thomas and Yumi after his story and subsequent blubbering, but he felt the need to apologize for burdening them with his problems.

Walking into the kitchen, he noticed the doctor sitting in a chair at a small square table situated in front of three large windows and holding a newspaper before him, presumably reading. The eating area was separated from the rest of the large kitchen by a large counter/sink combination that extended almost the length of the room. The far right was occupied by more counters, a stove, and a range-top. The refrigeration kept silent vigil in the far corner, watching impassively as Yumi seemed to dance around as she made food to serve for breakfast. The light filtering in through the windows gave the scene a tranquil feel.

Naruto was loathsome to intrude upon the contentment that radiated from their faces, but before he could silently leave, Yumi turned and graced him with a beatific smile. Raising his had to scratch the back of his neck, he smiled embarrassedly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude…" he trailed off.

"Nonsense!" Thomas exclaimed as he looked up from his paper. He motioned the shinobi to sit across from him. Naruto warily sat down and scrutinized the table between them intently, unwilling to meet the man's eyes.

"I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to cry like that, and I don't want to trouble you wi-" interjecting Naruto sentence, Thomas stated clearly, "Don't worry about it."

A pregnant silence permeated the air for a long moment, as neither knew what to say next. Luckily the tension was broken as Yumi set warm plates of eggs, biscuits, and steamy bacon before them and sat down with a plate of her own and promptly began to eat. Quickly realizing he hadn't eaten anything since before arriving to this world, Naruto started shoveling food into his mouth. While the bacon and eggs tasted a little odd, the food was no less delicious for it. For a while, the only sounds in the room were that of silverware clacking on plates and three mouths chewing. As they finished their meal, Naruto leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach, relishing the feeling of being full. Realizing the discussion that lay before him, he faced his two hosts.

"Thank you both. I appreciate what you did last night. I don't really know what to say…" Naruto mumbled softly.

"You don't need to say anything. After what you told me last night, I think you deserve a few allies. I'm just glad I have the opportunity to be one," Thomas stated. "The least I can do is help you adjust, and if you want to, I have plenty of room, and would be honored if you stayed here."

The blonde stared amazed at him, and then turned to the woman beside him and saw her nod in agreement, smiling. Tears threatened fall, but he quickly beat them down. It wouldn't do for him to become all weepy again. Not trusting his voice, he nodded sharply and returned the smile.

Not one for serious situations, Thomas quickly changed the subject, "So… I'm sure you have a lot of questions." Standing abruptly, he motioned Naruto to follow him as he walked out of the kitchen. Naruto stood and trailed after the doctor, and Yumi followed the men as Thomas led them thru the common room to the hallway on the right. Naruto noted two doors on the right side of the corridor as they passed and wondered as to their use. He kept his musing silent and followed as Dr. Bennett continued on to the doorway at the end of the passage. There was another keypad which the brown haired man expertly punched in another long code that Naruto couldn't follow. The door slide open with a hiss and they stepped inside. Jaw dropping to the floor (a common occurrence lately, he noted mentally), the whiskered teen gaped at the contents of the room.

The room was enormous, with twenty foot high ceilings, shaped into a square approximately two hundred feet in length and width. Within the room were dozens of tables with half fixed gadgets and unfinished projects of various types. Machines that Naruto couldn't begin to guess the functions for stood some fifteen feet high and had monitors displaying incomprehensible data. The entire wall to the left held bookcases full of books, scrolls, and binders from floor to ceiling. A ladder on rollers was connected to the shelf so someone could climb to reach the higher books. The right wall held a row of tall box-like computers that reminded Naruto of the supercomputer in Kabuto's lab. However, the ones here made the snake-bitch's electronics look like kid's toys.

But the ninja's attention was firmly held to the wall opposite the door. As he moved into the lab, he stared at the sixteen foot monitor before him. Below the gigantic screen was the workstation that operated it. The station was an array of keyboards, flashing lights, and monitors that display lines of information that the blonde couldn't understand.

"Like it?"

Naruto jumped out of his skin as he whirled to face the doctor that whispered in his ear, kunai in hand. "DON'T DO THAT!" Naruto shouted as he attempted to regain his composure. Placing the weapon back in his weapons pouch, the blonde grumbled incoherently as Thomas and Yumi laughed heartily at his expense.

Recovering from his laughter, the doctor sat in the overstuffed leather chair at the workstation under the huge screen and gestured to Yumi to grab another chair from one of the nearby worktables for Naruto. She pulled one over for herself as well and they both sat, Yumi next to Thomas and Naruto facing the pair.

"Where to begin?" The chestnut haired man said loudly.

"How 'bout with why Yumi looks like a cat," stated the blonde.

The doctor nodded, saying, "She's a pokegirl." Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion. "A poke-wassit?"

"Pokegirl. Basically, a pokegirl is a leftover bioweapon from a war over seven hundred years ago between a mad, and rather perverse, scientist named Sukebe, and the rest of the world. Pokegirls are women have special abilities and physical traits based on their type and are generally faster, stronger, and heartier than normal humans. With me so far?" At Naruto's nod he continued, "Sukebe created many of these pokegirls to be soldiers for him in his war on human kind. He also released a plague the killed billions of people, and then unleashed another disease that left all normal human females sterile for generations. During the war, the allied factions against Sukebe realized that they could make pokegirls loyal to them by taming them. All pokegirls have a biological need to submit to a Master, or they will descend into feraldom. Still there?"

"But if the majority of women became sterile, how come the human race didn't become extinct?"

Thomas smiled, "Pokegirls are what saved humankind. All pokegirls have three stages of maturity: pokekits, pokegirls, and pokewomen. Pokekits are born through parthenogenesis, which basically means a pokegirl creates genetic copies of herself, or they are given birth to through means of normal pregnancy. Pokekits mature into poke girls at the same rate as human children. Human females can also become pokegirls sometime during puberty, which is called Threshold. A human female spend four to ten days slowly changing into a pokegirl as the pokegirl genes become dominant. While most of the time it doesn't hurt, it does feel as though the victim has a severe flu."

Around the age a normal woman goes through menopause, pokegirls enter a second maturity and become pokewomen. A pokewomen can be impregnated by a human male and bear pokekits, or human males and females. When this was discovered, most people began starting families with their pokegirls desperately hoping to repopulate the planet. Now, seven hundred years later, it's rare for someone not to have pokegirl genes in the family tree. That's also why so many girls enter Threshold, because their genes basically catch up to them. At that point, they need to be tamed, same as any other pokegirl.

Naruto sat quietly for a moment, contemplating, before asking, "So, how do you tame a pokegirl?"

"Taming means you have sex with them," Thomas replied bluntly. At Naruto's shocked expression he chuckled lightly. "From your story last night, I had a feeling that your world wasn't as… cavalier about sex as we are here. You must understand that pokegirls need to be tamed and submit to a master, or they become a danger to all of us."

"But how can everyone be ok with raping women into submission! It's not right!" Naruto yelled indignantly.

Yumi silenced the ninja from ranting further with a dark look, saying, "Look, I agree that this might not be morally right for you, but, as a pokegirl myself, I can assure you that its better to have a master than to be alone in the wilderness fighting for you life every second of every day, not knowing when the next pokegirl is going to come along and decide your on the menu." A mischievous grin spread across her features as she continued, "Besides, taming is always, and I mean always, a main priority for any pokegirl. And it's definitely a whole lot more fun with a willing partner."

Naruto felt his cheeks redden. Fighting down the blush, he mumbled, "I still don't like it." Thomas shocked him with his next statement.

"Honestly, no one in this world gives a damn. That's the way it is here, and it's not going to change anytime soon. So, my advice to you is to get used to it. I happen to be one of very few people that sees pokegirls as equals, but the sad truth is that most treat them as property, no better than slaves, and according to law, that's the way it should be. The only thing you can do is treat the girls you keep with respect. Trust me; you won't change anyone else's opinion on the matter. I've tried."

The blonde scowled at this, but he eventually nodded, "Okay, I get it. I don't like it, but I get it. So what am I supposed to do now?"

Glad to have that issue dealt with for the moment, Thomas continued, "Well, that really depends on you. You have a couple of choices. You could stay here and help me do research, become a Tamer and travel around taming and training pokegirls for pokebattles, or get a job somewhere as a mercenary, which I don't recommend. You could also just stay here and do nothing, or you could combine the first two options and help me do research as a Tamer. Those are really the only choices I see. But whatever you decide to do, I will back you up fully."

"What do Tamers do, other than fuck random women into being slaves?" Thomas glared at the ninja for a moment before explaining, "A tamer's job is to find and tame pokegirls, train them, and use their abilities to help society. They can also compete in duels in which a tamer directs his pokegirls in one on one fights. However, the rules differ, and can take on many forms such as one on one, gym battle, free for all, or sex battles. The winner usually gets to take one of the loser's pokegirls, or if it's a battle at a pokegym, they are awarded with a gym badge."

Naruto's scowl deepened. He didn't like the idea of women being treated as property. But he didn't comment, knowing that it wouldn't matter anyway. He moved on to his next question, "What kind of research do you do here?"

At this, the doctor grinned widely. Thomas always liked talking about his research.

"Aside from minor modifications to tamer equipment, I have two major projects. One is a way to stop and reverse the effects of Threshold. Unfortunately, I haven't made much progress. The other will require further explanation. When a tamer tames a pokegirl, a bond is developed. Now, there are three types of bonds: alpha bonds, delta bonds, and recognition. Alpha bonds are purely physical. When a pokegirl receives seminal fluid, or in the case of a female tamer, vaginal secretions, their body takes the tamer's genetic code and imprints it onto the pokegirl's biology. The pokegirl will recognize that tamer as their master until she is tamed by another human. Delta bonds go a little further than that. Through repeated taming, or having an empathetic tamer, a pokegirl and her tamer develop a minor telepathic and empathic bond. However, this can be detrimental. If either the tamer or pokegirl is hurt, the other will feel it as well as a sort of psychic backlash. Finally, Recognition can be described as two soul mates finding each other. Once Recognized, a tamer will no longer be able to develop Alpha or Delta bonds with any other pokegirls. Many tamers fear this as it effectively ends their careers."

"I am currently studying whether or not delta bonds can be used effectively in combat both in pokebattles and in other combat situations. I intend to prove that Delta bonds, despite the risk of backlash, can give a tamer and his harem the advantage," Thomas exclaimed, fist raise triumphantly in the air.

"How far have you gotten?" At Naruto intrigued question, the doctor deflated and mumbled, "Not far. Out of the 29 tamers I've sponsored, only two have developed any delta bonds, and the bond are too weak to be effective for my research." Thomas slumped into his chair with a dejected look.

The doctor looked at his Naruto, stating, "That's pretty much what you need to know about this place. So what're you going to do?"

Naruto shook his head slightly, saying, "I don't know. This place is just weird. I think I'm gonna go take a walk, and think about all this." Thomas nodded and replied, "I know it's a lot to take in. Take your time. If you need me, I'll be in here." With that the doctor spun in his chair and started typing on one of the keyboards.

Naruto rose and left the doctor to his work. He exited the building and was ten feet down the path, before he heard footsteps behind him.

"Hey, Naruto! Wait a second," Yumi's voice called out. He turned as Yumi strolled up, and stopping in front of him, she said, "I just wanted to tell you something else I want you to hear, okay?" He nodded.

"When I went through Threshold, my parents sold me to a ranch," Seeing Naruto blanch, she continued hurriedly, "They weren't bad people. They just didn't have any other options. We lived on a farm north of Matenrou, and they weren't any guys around that could take me on. They hoped that my pokegirl genes wouldn't activate because my mother was human, and she didn't Threshold. But we all knew that it could, so when it happened, it wasn't really a shock."

"Anyway, I spent about two years at that ranch. Because Catgirls are so common, and my coloring and body type were both unremarkable for my breed, no one wanted me. I felt so dejected, that when a tamer actually bought me, I was ecstatic. I thought, 'Wow, he really wants me.' And that made me feel good. However, this tamer wasn't the best of men. While he didn't abuse me, he didn't really do anything at all. He tamed me once, and then let my harem-sisters take care of me until I absolutely had to be tamed by him again. My only use was a pack mule and cook. I didn't battle, and I was low pokegirl on the totem pole."

Yumi paused for a moment, then, "I think the saddest thing about it, was that I didn't know it could be better. And, although I felt there should be more to it, I didn't have anything to compare it to. But then, one day, I messed up a supply run, and my tamer started yelling at me. He started saying that I only had one simple job, and that if I couldn't do that right, what did he have me for. And I believed him."

Naruto attempted to tell her that the man was stupid, but Catgirl raise her hand, "Wait. Let me finish." Closing his mouth, he listened.

"Now, I was feeling complete low, but I took it because I knew it could be worse. I've seen tamers abuse their girls. But, at the height of his fit, Master interrupted him. He asked what happened, and my tamer told him about my screw up, and how I was useless. At the end of his rant, Thomas-sama said he'll buy me. And before I knew it I was here. When Master first tamed me, my world was upended. He made me feel so special that I was overwhelmed. He then showed me how dull my world was before…," she trailed off remembering.

Shaking her head, Yumi stared into Naruto's eyes and spoke solemnly, "I can't even begin to describe how it feels to have a master that truly cares. Whether they know it or not, every poke girl dreams of having a Master like Thomas. I know you don't quite understand all this, but know that what I have now is the best any pokegirl can get. The world need more tamer's like that. You might not be able to change the world for everyone, but you can be the world for a few of us. Think about it."

Long after Yumi left, Naruto stood there looking at the front door. He had a lot to think about.

0o0o0o0o0

Naruto walked the street of Nohara aimlessly. After hearing Yumi's story, one phrase kept replaying in his head. _You might not be able to change the world for everyone, but you can be the world for a few of us_. He didn't really know what to feel about that. This world was so different from his own. Mad perverted scientist creating sex slaves with special powers. Forced into servitude with sex. Those same pokegirls willing to be treated like that. It was all so wrong! But, it has been like that for centuries. This wasn't just an isolated incident here and there; it was common and expected behavior.

For the life of him, Naruto never thought that his dislike of pervert would make him the odd man out.

He needed to make a decision on what he was going to do. His whole life, he had dedicated himself to the singular dream of being Hokage. Every minute of everyday, he worked toward the leader's chair. He had pushed himself beyond all reasonable limits physically, mentally, and emotionally. Now, he had nothing.

Could he be a tamer? He didn't really know if he could push himself onto woman like that. It seemed so wrong. But the whole situation bothered him. If he didn't become a tamer, plenty of others would take his place, and he knew that they wouldn't treat them with the respect he had ingrained into his very core. Is there a way to be a tamer and still give the women a choice? Maybe.

He could just be a mercenary, but Doc said he didn't recommend that. If nothing else, he felt he could trust the researcher and Yumi. So that was out. Naruto knew himself well enough to know that he'd go crazy if he did nothing. His whole being was charge with energy, and he always need to do something, anything, to keep from suffocating from boredom. That just left helping Thomas, being a tamer, or both.

There was also the fact that while he wasn't a virgin, he didn't have much experience with sex. He had a few missions to retrieve information through any means necessary, and being around Jaraiya proved that brothels were invaluable sources for it. He hadn't needed to "perform" often for the intel, but it was always an empty act. Aside from a crush on his female teammate Sakura when he was thirteen, he hadn't really had the chance to develop a relationship with anyone. Training for his dream took precedent above everything.

Would he be able to satisfy a poke girl? He didn't know. Honestly, Naruto was afraid to find out. What if he was a bad tamer? He certainly didn't have the background for it. Maybe he just needed to be there.

The blonde sighed explosively. He had been wandering for hours. He was no closer to a solution now, than when he started. But he could help think about Yumi's story. Maybe he could be to other poke girl what Thomas was to her. He could hear her devotion the doctor, and he felt that it would be very nice that have someone think of him that way. Maybe he cou-

Any further thought were interrupted by a loud crash. Pausing, Naruto listened and could hear yelling further down the alley he was traversing. Treading lightly, he advanced toward the corner the noise was coming from. Peeking around the corner, he saw an average size man bearing down on what looked to be a half fox, half human woman, poke girl no doubt. As listened on, his blood began to boil and he trembled with rage. However, if this was her tamer, he had no right to interfere. He couldn't just leave as ever fiber of his being wanted to jump in and save her.

So he just stood there, indecision paralyzing him to the spot as he watched the drama unfold.

0o0o0o0o0

Kitsunes are widely known to be weak against water based attacked. It was common knowledge, and to pit a Kitsune against Vaporita was just asking for a loss. Especially, if you're a tamer doesn't know anything about training poke girl.

She knew from childhood that she would Threshold, and knowing her mother and grandmother were both Kitsunes, she was sure it was a matter of time before she became one. Being such a common poke girl meant that it would a long time, if ever, someone wanted to take her into his harem. So when Yashino bought her from the ranch, she thought herself lucky.

She never had been more wrong. Yoshino wasn't a kind man by any means. The first thing he did after he tamed her, he asked if she had a name. She told him it was Mayumi. He immediately beat her senseless, yelling that she had no name. And until he gave her one, she would refer to herself as Kitsune. She never mentioned the name her parent's gave her.

Her master harem consisted only of her, and Yoshino's alpha, a Dominatrix named Yohko. Kitsune learned that her harem sister was every bit as vicious as their master, and the next six month proved to be a perfect reflection of what she thought Hell would be. Every infraction was horribly punished, and every taming was just as painful. She began hoping that her tamer would challenge someone soon, lose, and give her away as spoils of war, or that he'd tire of her and sell to another ranch. Anything had to be better than this. In a way, she got her wish.

Earlier that day, Yoshino got into a heated argument with another tamer about who was the better tamer. They decided on a duel. Two poke girls each, one on one, until the last poke girl was standing. The opposing tamer chose a Vaporita, and easy match up for a Dominatrix, but, in his infinite wisdom, Yoshino chose her.

It wasn't even a battle. She was simply outclass and was knocked unconscious in one move. With two fresh poke girls against Yohko, it was simply a matter of time. Yoshino lost. Unimpressed with her performance, the winner chose Yoshino's alpha, took her, and quickly left. Her enraged master wasted no time waking her, and dragging her to the nearest alley behind the Training Grounds, and regaling her with hateful words and flying fists.

As blow after blow came, she couldn't help feeling as though she let him down. She should have fought better, lasted longer. Maybe if she had won, he wouldn't have beaten her anymore.

Her thought became unclear as Yoshino's fist crashed into her temple, spinning her around and sending her crashing into a pile of garbage tins. The refuse spilled all over her. Upon seeing this, her tamer burst into laughter, saying, "That's just where you belongs you little bitch. Maybe I should just leave you here. You certainly won't be useful to me or anyone else." Her heart broke at these words, and a cold darkness filled her. He was going to abandon her. She was useless. No better than the garbage she lay in, and she knew it. These thought became the center of her world, repeating over and over again in her mind.

Yoshino began to advance toward her to give he one last kick when suddenly a tall blonde man blocked his path. The man had a deep, angry scowl on his face, as Yoshino said, "What d'you want? I'm in the middle of something."

"I think that's enough," growl Naruto angrily. Glaring back at the taller man, Yoshino snapped, "This ain't any of your business. So move outta my way!" Naruto didn't budge.

Before either could say anything else, that both turned their attention to the sudden burst of dark purple light from the prone poke girl. To Naruto, his senses were inundated with dark chakra. He had felt this before. It was similar to the feel of Sasuke's chakra when he activated his cursed seal, only it didn't feel evil. The blonde felt a wave of despair emanate from the woman before him. It quickly began to fade, and behind him, he heard the tamer curse.

Yoshino was disgusted with his poke girl. She evolved into a Nogitsune, and certainly didn't have the patience to deal with that. Began to move forward again, but a hand against his chest prevented him. Looking to the blonde, he said, "Move. I have to teach her a lesson."

"No." It was simply state, buy the malice contained in that one word would have given any wise man pause. Yoshino wasn't a wise man.

"Move or I'll kick the shit out of you too!" he screamed.

Naruto quickly brought his hand together, forming the seals for his favorite jutsu, yelling, "Shadow Clone Technique!" Instantly, eleven more Narutos faded into existence around the shocked tamer. The ninja then proceeded to draw upon the Kyuubi's chakra. Yashino watched in terror as the man's eyes turn deep crimson. His knees quickly gave in, and he collapsed onto his rear. He started blubbering, "Please! Please don't hurt me. I'll do anything. Just let me go." Naruto grinned viciously, growling out. "Give me the girl."

Fumbling fearfully through the pouch at his waist, he quickly took out a small round red and white ball and held it out to Naruto, yelling, "Here! Take her! Just let me go." Taking the small orb, the shin obi released his clones, letting them disappear with a muffled pop. Yoshino scrambled to his feet and ran out of the alley as quickly as he could.

Naruto stopped channeling the demon chakra, allowing his eyes to return to their nature azure color. He turned and knelt beside the woman. Putting the ball into his weapons pouch, he scanned the poke girl for injuries. She had quite a few minor cuts and bruises, but she was breathing. He brushed the hair from her face taking note of the changes to her body. She was smaller, and her fur had turned black as well as her hair. As slowly turned onto her side to check for more injuries, he notice a streaked of grey fur traveled the length of her back. He also could have sworn he had a tail before, but either she lost it during her transformation, or he had been seeing things.

He needed to get her to someone who could heal her. Gently gathering her into his arms, he stood up and leap onto the nearest rooftop. He made a beeline for Doc's place. He was a doctor; he would know what to do. Feeling his charge shift, he looked down. She looked at him dazedly, and he came to a stop, landing gracefully on top of the next building.

She began to squirm weakly in his grasp, so he tried to calm her. "It's okay. Your safe now." She looked at him in shock. Safe! She wasn't safe. Her master would kill her if she left him. Naruto continued talking, "That man won't ever bother you again. He said I could take you. I'm taking you to a doctor, so just sit tight. Okay." She nodded weakly. If Yoshino had given her to this man, did that mean this was her new master. Why would he want her? It didn't make any sense. She was worthless.

Naruto began moving again, speeding across the roofs of Nohara. As he moved he said, "Rest. I take care of you." She didn't really want to, but her new master ordered it, and she was so tired. She closed her eyes and prayed that if this was her new master, she wouldn't let him down too.


	3. Exams of Character

**The Will of Fire**

**Chapter 2**

**Exams of Character**

Dr. Thomas Bennett had seen quite a few pokegirls in his life. With female bioweapons as the focus of his research, he was bound the come across a number of rare breeds in his line of work. Thomas had seen Draconas, Vampires, Marionettes, and, once, even a Psynin. Even with all that experience, he was still baffled by the girl lying on the bed. Standing next to the bed in one of the spare rooms, Thomas observed the resting Nogitsune.

Naruto had made quite the commotion trying to get his attention from the front door. When he opened it, the blonde had immediately regaled him with an incomprehensible stream of words that he quickly translated to mean, "She's hurt, please help!" Thomas quickly directed the ninja to take her to the nearest guest room, and he ran to collect his diagnostic tools, and anything else he thought might be useful.

Arriving in the guest room, he noticed Yumi attempting to calm the panicking shinobi as he paced at the foot of the bed. He knelt beside the bed and examined his patient. It was then that he noticed her type, but quickly dismissed the questions it brought up to the back of his mind. Questions could come later; now, his priority was to ensure the health of this girl. Luckily, it seemed that she had no internal bleeding. However, three of her ribs were cracked and the surround area was bruised a sickly purple/black color, though it was hard to tell through her dark fur. Looking at the wounds on her face, he was relieved to notice that they appeared much worse than they actually were; That is not to say the cuts and ugly bruises weren't serious, just not life threatening. With a quick run through a healing cycle, most of the bruising and the minor cuts would heal. The ribs, however, would take time. No matter how many times she was run through; healing cycles could only do so much.

He quickly turned to Naruto and asked if he had her pokeball. At his confused stare, he described the object, and the blonde pulled the red and white ball from the pouch on his belt. Taking the ball, Thomas recalled the pokegirl into it, and abruptly left the room, heading for his lab. Behind him, he could hear Yumi give Naruto a brief explanation of what a pokeball was, and tuned them out as they entered the lab. Plugging the ball into a largish machine, he pushed the button marked "HC" and turned to the two shadowing him and relayed his diagnosis.

"What the hell are you doing to her?" the hopper asked, panic cracking his voice. Thomas replied, "I am putting her through a healing cycle. It'll heal all her minor cuts and bruises, and speed the healing of her cracked ribs. Don't worry. She'll be fine with some rest."

Naruto's face showed his great relief as he thanked the doctor. Presently, the machine chimed and Thomas retrieved the ball and returned to the guest room, releasing its occupant onto the bed. Yumi then pulled the covers up to her shoulders.

Still regarding the prone girl, Dr. Bennett asked, "So what happened?"

Sighing wearily, Naruto recounted the events since he left the complex, and as he talked the scowl on the doctor's face deepened. Abuse wasn't an uncommon practice in Edo League, but excessive force was definitely frowned upon, and the amount of cumulative abuse needed to evolve (or de-evolve, depending on who you asked) a Kitsune to a Nogitsune would certainly qualify as excessive.

"So what're you going to do now?" Thomas asked.

Naruto looked sidelong at the doctor and asked, "What do you mean?"

Thomas turned to regard the taller man, "Well, you brought her here, and you have her ball. That makes her your responsibility. You'll have to have a tamer's license to keep her, or you have to sell her."

"You have a license. You could take her," Naruto retorted.

The doctor frowned at his guest, replying, "No I can't. I have a researcher's license. While I can have up to eight pokegirls, I need a reason to keep them. Because of her type, I can't take her as an assistant, and because of the tenets of my research, I can't keep her as a research subject. It is nigh impossible for a Nogitsune to develop delta bonds, so I couldn't justify giving her to any tamers I sponsor. If I take her, I am obligated to either give her to the local ranch, or to put her down. I refuse to be put in that situation."

Scowling, Naruto looked at the woman on the bed. Returning his gaze to his host, he asked, "So what are my options?"

"You can either give her to the ranch, or be her tamer," Thomas responded quietly.

The ninja chewed on that for a minute. He didn't think he could be her tamer. He didn't know anything about it and the thought of having a girl (let alone two or three!) biologically dependant on his seed didn't sit right with him. Didn't her feelings have any importance in the arrangement? Maybe if he gave her to the ranch, a tamer who knew what he was doing would take her and care for her. But if other tamers were anything like that bastard he saved her from, then he would be condemning her again. That he definitely couldn't do.

"What's the ranch like? How does it work?" he asked.

Thomas looked intently at Naruto, and replied, "Why don't I take you there, so you can see for yourself. It's not something I can explain."

At Naruto's nod, the doctor walked from the room, telling Yumi to watch over the patient, and led the ninja out of the complex. Naruto followed, wondering at the unusual seriousness on Thomas's face, and trying to push down the feeling that he wouldn't like what he was about to see.

They walked down the path toward the main road slowly, and upon reaching it, the doctor led them in the opposite direction of the town. Naruto commented on this, to which Thomas replied, "Ranches need a lot of space so that the pokegirls can exercise."

Down the road a little ways, a smaller side road branched off to the left and the doctor lead them down it. After a few miles, Naruto could make out a few buildings as they approached. The buildings were squat, rectangular affairs made of dull brown brick, and each building had a few small windows, but they where otherwise completely uninteresting. However, he did notice the absence of a fence. Every ranch or farm that Naruto visited to perform one mission or another had one, regardless of whether there were animals present or not. It seemed odd not to have a barrier to mark boundaries, if nothing else. Naruto made his observation known, "There's not a fence. What happens if a pokegirl escapes?"

Thomas sighed, "Where would they go?" Naruto snorted, "Well they could go anywhere they wanted to, right?"

"Every pokegirl in there is registered to this ranch, so if anyone scanned them, they would immediately know, and the girl would be caught, returned, and probably be punished. Not to mentioned that it's standard procedure to wipe all the memories from returned runaways. That makes returning to any town dangerous and stupid if they are trying to escape. All that's left is the wilderness, which is very dangerous, and usually ends with the poor girl fighting off other pokegirls until a stronger feral kills them for food. So I ask again, where would they go?"

Naruto remained quiet, unable to give a suitable answer. More and more, it seemed that these women were slaves to their own biology. In his opinion, no one should have to bend themselves to another's will just to survive. During the war with Hidden Sound, he had seen something similar, only on a much smaller scale: Orochimaru's Cursed Seal. The seal itself granted the Snake's forces a great amount of powerful dark chakra, but it also gave Orochimaru complete control over them. Once they had accepted that bastard's seal, it could not been removed and it forced the bearer's mind to obey the traitor Sannin's command. Even Miterashi Anko, a loyal Jounin of the Leaf, fought against the seal for years, but had succumbed to its power in the end. But, unlike Sasuke, she chose to end her own life before that sick man could force her to attack her comrades. Were tamer's any better than that twisted snake? Naruto didn't know, but had a tamer passed them, he didn't think he would have been able to restrain himself from beating him senseless.

Thomas shook his head ruefully, as he watched Naruto's face. If he was angry now… well, there was nothing for it. Naruto needed to understand that if he chose to bring the Nogitsune here, he was signing her death warrant. If his new houseguest wanted to save the girl's life, he had to become her tamer, and this was the only way he knew Naruto would realize it.

They approached the front building, and the doctor ushered Naruto inside. The door led into a lobby area with a hallway to the left of a reception desk. The desk was a big red wooden monstrosity, with overly elaborate tribal carvings along the edge. The girl behind the desk was another pokegirl of the feline variety, with light green fur accenting the catlike ears on top of her head. Her hair matched her fur, and large jade eyes peered at them over the desk. To Naruto, it seemed she was hiding behind the desk more than manning it. The girl smiled at them, saying, "Good afternoon, Doctor Bennett. How can we help you today?"

"Good afternoon, Aya. Is Jon around? I need to speak with him." Aya smiled, "Yes, Master is here. I'll go get him for you." She stood, and walked down the hallway. When she left, Thomas turned to his companion and said, "Jon is one the best ranchers around, and he knows his stuff. We are going to act as if you're a potential tamer, and are looking to trade. I want you to see how this usually works before we tell him that you have a Nogitsune. And make sure you don't mention how you obtained her, okay? Just say you found her lying beaten in an alley."

"Why do I need to wait?"

Thomas regarded Naruto seriously, stating quietly, "You need experience dealing with the ethics of this world. Technically, you broke the law when you rescued her, but because of the circumstances, no one is going to call you on it, and the tamer has probably already left town. If she had evolved into any other pokegirl, I bet that the police would have arrested you by now. "

Naruto registered his shock. He'd broken the law? But he saved her! How could that be a bad thing? Why did her type matter? The ninja reeled from the doctor's disturbing statement. While chewing on this news, he almost missed the rancher's arrival.

Pulling his emotions in check, he quickly composed himself and observed the man walking towards them. He was short, coming only to Naruto's chest, and rather rotund. His wide cheeks pushed up from the ear to ear smile plastered to his face. He had come across this particular species before: the merchant. He had a head of neatly combed hair, and his eyes glowed with false congeniality.

Jon walked straight up to the doctor, and enveloped the Thomas's hand with both of his rather plump ones. His voice was laced with cheer, and overflowed with benevolence.

"Good Afternoon, Doctor. It's good to see you again. How's your research coming?" he asked, and it seemed as though he had a genuine interest in his query. Thomas smiled and responded, "I still haven't found any tamer able to create strong enough bonds to test, but I'm certain it will occur soon enough. How's the ranch been? Keeping busy?"

Jon seemed to lose a little exuberance. "Well, it's been a little slow lately, not many new tamer's lately, but I'm sure it'll pick up," the rancher proclaimed. He turned to Naruto and asked the doctor, "So who's this strapping young man?"

"This is Naruto Uzumaki. He is here to see about a possible trade. Naruto, this is Jonathan Tenkawa, the owner of this ranch."

Jon's smile seemed to widen a little more, exclaiming, "Splendid! Why don't we go to the showroom, and see if we have a girl that suits you?"

She opened her eyes to stare at a blank white ceiling, and she immediately knew what she had become. Despair washed over her as she wondered what was to happen to her now. She had failed, and in doing so, she had become an outcast. No tamer would want her now, and she was sure Yoshino wou-

That thought brought the recent events crashing through her head. She had been saved by the man with blonde hair. She looked around the room hoping to see him, but the room was empty. Would he really take care of her, or would her give her away once he realized what she was? Did he already know? If he had, why did he save her? Most tamers didn't want to deal with a Nogitsune. She was dangerous now. Maybe he didn't care…

The door opened and a brown haired Catgirl entered, closing the door behind her. The prone girl watched her as she turned around. Noticing that the patient was awake, Yumi spoke quietly, "I see your up. How do you feel?" The Catgirl walked over and sat down carefully on the bed, and observed the Nogitsune as she said, "My chest hurts."

"Master says that you have three cracked ribs, so don't move around too much, okay?" At the wounded pokegirls nod, Yumi continued, "What's your name?"

"Kitsune." Yumi raised an eyebrow, and Kitsune replied, "I don't have any other name anymore." The Catgirl nodded sadly; she understood the meaning of the "anymore." Many times, a pokegirl who went through threshold were put through a level five taming cycle. The cycle wiped all memory of who the girl was before Threshold. Other times, a tamer would take the girls name to drive home the point that she was his property now, and as such, belonged solely to him. She changed the subject, "You're lucky Naruto saved you. He brought you here so Master could treat your wounds. You're safe now, so try to relax."

"Where is he? The one who saved me."

Yumi flinched, "Naruto and Master just left to go to the ranch." Kitsune knew what that meant, but she had to make sure, "Is he going to sell me?"

The Catgirl sighed and looked sadly at her charge, "Honestly, I don't know. He doesn't really know what's going on here. He was banished from his world and arrived here. He's been here just over a day, and he was shocked to see pokegirls. He didn't have them in his world."

Kitsune digested that for a moment. He didn't know what she was; that's why he saved her. The doctor must have told him, and that's why he went to they ranch. He wasn't a tamer, so he couldn't keep her, but he said he'd take care of her. Did he say that and not know what it meant to take care of a pokegirl. Probably. But she wasn't just any pokegirl, she was a Nogitsune: a dangerous and destructive type. That wasn't a very promising thought. Why would he even want her? She was useless. She couldn't fight, could barely cook, and Yoshino told her she was boring to tame. And she was unsafe. What value did she have? None. It was hopeless. He was going to get rid of her. And the worst part was that she agreed that would be the best decision.

Yumi watched as Kitsune's face became a study in misery, and decided to interrupt her thoughts. "Look, we won't know what's going to happen until they get back, so just try to get some more rest, and I'll go get you some food," She declared, standing resolutely and leaving the room.

The room's occupant sighed quietly and closed her eyes, trying to block out the fear that her savior wasn't going to keep her…and the feeling that she had already failed him.

The rancher had ushered them gently down the hallway to a set of double doors at the end. They entered large room and sat down at semi-circular couch stationed in the middle of the right wall. There was a small coffee table in front of them with an intercom in the center of it, and on the far wall were two doors on opposite ends with a floor to ceiling mirror running the length between them. The room itself was painted relaxing beige, and floor was covered in a fluffy tan carpet. The entire time Naruto was looking around, Jon had been talking.

"We only have around thirty pokegirls here at the moment. Most are common types, good for any beginning tamer. However, I do have a few of the more rare breeds: a Dracona, a Succubus, a couple of Ronins. I have quite a few cat types, and also a few of the canine variety. I can also guarantee that each has camping and rudimentary cooking skills to help tamer on the road. I find that most tamers are looking for those skills in particular. All my pokegirls are domestic, so they can speak, making them easier to train. So what exactly are you looking for?"

Naruto shrugged sheepishly, "Uh, I don't know really." Jon continued to smile and said, "Well, why don't I bring a few in for you to look at, and we might find something you like." He leaned over and pressed the button on the intercom, and spoke into it, "Aya, be a dear and come to the showroom."

A minute later, the receptionist entered through the double doors and approached them. Jon stood and met her halfway. They conversed quietly for a moment before Aya nodded and exited through the left door on the far wall. Jon returned to his seat and regarded them both, "They'll be along in a moment. She's also bringing us a few refreshments." Naruto nodded, and waited patiently, as Thomas and their host exchanged a few more pleasantries.

The door on the right opened and a line of pokegirls entered and stood before them. Naruto counted thirteen in all.

Jon stood and walked over to the first pokegirl to enter and began to describe her type, benefit, and other little things he thought might impress them. Naruto's gaped at the blatant disregard the man had for her personal space: stroking her hair while describing its silkiness, motioning to her breasts as he described their quality and plumpness, spinning her around and giving a slap on her rear as he talked on about the fitness of the girl. And she preened at the attention! She enjoyed it as he tried to sell her like a farmer selling a horse!

He continued down the line, and began talking about the next one, doing the same as the first. She just stood there, with a bored expression on her face as if she didn't care that the man before her was attempting to sell her off like an animal. And so Jon continue down the line, as Naruto watched shell shocked as everyone of the girl just took the obvious disregard for their humanity and accepted it. By the time Jon reached the end of the line, the ninja was so disgusted with this place that he just wanted to return to the lab and take a long shower to rinse away the shame he felt for these girls. How could they put up with this?

His thoughts were interrupted, when Jon asked, "So, how about it? Do you see anything you like?" Before Naruto could say anything spiteful in return, Thomas cut in saying, "Before that, I think we need to talk first. You might want to send them back."

Looking perplexed, Jon turned to the girls and nodded. They took the unspoken cue, and filed out through the left hand door. Once they were gone, Jon approached his would be customer and the doctor as they stood. Thomas squared himself, saying, "Look, Jon, I'm sorry for deceiving you, but we didn't come here to buy a pokegirl. We came here to see what you think of a pokegirl Naruto recently found abandoned in an alley nearby. We were considering selling her to you."

Jon sighed, "Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. What type is she?"

"A Nogitsune."

The ranchers face suddenly lost its smile as all pretenses of kindness where dropped. A tense silence swallowed the room.

"A Nogitsune..." Their host's simple reply carried a large amount of distain. Naruto stared at the pudgy man confused, before replying slowly, "Yeah…"

"No."

"Why?"

"I refuse to allow such a dangerous, and not to mention worthless, pokegirl to stay at my ranch."

Naruto spat, "She's not worthless or dangerous!"

"Are you fucking insane! Who would want to buy a pokegirl that's just as likely to kill her tamer, as she is to kill an opponent? Not to mention their suicidal tendency and the random psychic bursts that has the potential to fry your brain. It'd destroy half my pokegirls by the end of the week."

Naruto was angry. No, he was furious. This coward wouldn't even give the girl a chance. He's never met her. He hadn't seen the abuse Naruto witnessed; the utter despair in her eyes before she passed out. She deserved at least a chance. However, before the ninja could say so, Jon spoke again.

"You're better off putting it out of its misery. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the wrong end of its claws."

Naruto took a step forward threateningly, only to have the doctor place a restraining hand on his shoulder. He turned the hopper toward him, and stated grimly, "Let's just go Naruto," and turned to Jon, "I'm sorry about this, but I needed him to hear it himself." The rancher just frowned. "Just leave," the rancher said, looking down his nose in contempt. Thomas nodded and led Naruto out through the double doors toward the entrance. They left the building and walked down the path.

Naruto seethed with barely controlled rage at the fat man's suggestion. What right did he have to condemn her? What had she done? She was the victim. Was that the way it was here? She became inconvenient, and so should be executed! What kind of fucked up place was this? Well to hell with them! He didn't save her just so she could be murdered.

Turning to Thomas, Naruto growled, "I am not giving her to that bastard." Thomas kept his face blank as he replied, "Then you have to be her tamer, or you have to put her down."

"How can you be so cold? Is her life worth so little?" the enraged shinobi yelled. Scowling, the doctor proclaimed, "Look! Like it or not, that's the way it is here. I don't want her to die anymore than you do, but she doesn't have any choice in the matter, and I can't do anything about it. You can. You have a dangerous pokegirl, but it's not her fault she's become that. The only chance she has at life is if you give it to her. I think the question now is if you have the will to tame and take care of a potentially lethal weapon that also happens to be a woman that needs you to survive."

The rest of the trip back was silent, as Naruto tried to calm himself. Upon reaching the complex, they entered and the doctor went straight to his lab, leaving Naruto to himself. The ninja found himself in front of the guest room door. Quietly, he opened the door, entered, and closed it behind him. He approached the chair Yumi had probably set next to the bed and sat down in it. As he gazed at the vulpine's exotic beauty, he wondered how such an angel could have fallen from grace in the eyes of this world. She seemed so fragile, as though she would shatter the moment anything touched her.

Without realizing it, his hand reached out and gently caressed her face. She was just like him. An outcast: unwanted and hated. She was alone. Naruto sighed sadly. He couldn't condemn an innocent. He would be no better than the villagers that had shunned him. He said he'd take care of her, and Naruto Uzumaki doesn't take back his words. Removing his hand, he stood. Decision made, he silently left the room, never noticing the eyes that trailed after him.

Naruto turned right at the hallway and proceeded down to the laboratory. He knocked on the door and shortly the door opened. Entering the large space, he walked directly to the doctor and Yumi standing near the main workstation. As he stood before them, his face set in grim determination, he pronounced, "I'll do it."

Looking intently at his new friend, Thomas nodded curtly. Keeping his face carefully blank, the doctor turned toward the screens behind him. Though he tried to hide it, Naruto could see the relief in the doctor's eyes. He wanted to put the Nogitsune down even less than Naruto did, and Naruto's already considerable respect for the man who had accepted him jumped up a few more notches. Thomas grabbed a folder sitting in one of the few spaces at the workstation that wasn't inundated with various papers and printouts. Facing the potential tamer, he held out a folder, saying, "This contains the test you have to pass to be a tamer, and because you're a hopper, it's also has all of the reference material you'll need to pass. It's relatively simple. Give back to me when your done, and if you have any questions, ask myself or Yumi."

Naruto took the folder and sat down at one of the less cluttered desks. He opened the folder, grabbed a nearby pencil, and soon the lab was filled with the determined scribbling of a man saving the life of a kindred spirit.

Yumi entered the guest room and sat in the chair by the bed. She remained quiet until her presence was acknowledged. Kitsune turned her head toward her visitor, regarding her blankly. Seeing that was the best the Catgirl was going to get, she spoke, "He is going to be your tamer. He is taking the test as we speak, and the doctor and I will make sure he passes it."

Kitsune's expression contorted into such pitiful relief that Yumi had to turn her head. The feline knew that she could've been in the same situation just as easily. She knew how lucky she was to have been given to Thomas. Yumi took that moment to thanks whatever gods might be listening for her good fortune.

Returning her gaze to Kitsune, Yumi smiled. "It'll be okay now. Naruto is a rare man. He'll be good to you," she said adamantly. Rising from her chair, Yumi reached out and gave the Nogitsune's shoulder a gentle squeeze, then quietly headed for the door. She wanted to be available in case Naruto needed any help. She would make sure that Naruto became a tamer. As she reached the door, she almost missed the soft whisper from her charge.

"How do you know?"

Yumi turned back to Kitsune. "It's not my place to tell you his story, but Naruto probably understands your pain better than anyone. That's why I believe it'll be better," she said solemnly. She looked at the other pokegirl for a moment longer before leaving.

Kitsune barely registered the door closing as she scrutinized the ceiling. She wondered if it would truly be any different. It didn't really matter though. Naruto probably would be a good tamer, but the problem lie with her. She was useless. Nothing would change that. She wondered how long it would be before he realized it. When he did, she would either be put down, or relegated to storage.

She hoped her stay of execution lasted for a while. It would be nice to have a tamer who didn't hit her, even though she deserved it. Maybe she could be useful to him. She quickly squashed that feeble hope. She couldn't start believing the impossible; it would only hurt more when the inevitable happened. As she carefully blanked her mind, she let herself fall into a restless sleep, and, despite her best efforts, hoped that everything would be better when she awoke.

As Naruto read further into the test, he tried to fight down the blush that threatened to stain his cheeks. However, the lewdness of the questions wasn't the only problem he was having. The test asked for things completely out of the scope of his knowledge. Which of the following is the best choice to battle against a fire type? What is Edo League's policy on spoils of war? What is the preferred taming position for feline types? The reference material gave a brief overview, but contained very little useful information. Exasperated, he banged his head against the table a few times.

Looking up as the door opened, he saw Yumi enter the room. She gave him an encouraging smile as she approached him. Wanting his frustration to be known, he exclaimed, "How the hell am I supposed to answer these questions? Can you help me out?"

Not even turning from his position at the workstation, Thomas said, "Well… I can't give you the answers, but it may help you to read them out loud. Maybe if your observant enough, the answers might make themselves known to you."

Naruto would never consider himself quick on the uptake. He knew that subtlety was lost to him most of the time, but even he could grasp the thinly veiled hint. The doctor was going to help him cheat. Naruto had no qualms about cheating; he couldn't in his profession. He reflected back to his first Chunnin exam where the first part of it was a written test designed to make the participants cheat in order to pass. The catch had been to cheat with enough sneakiness to avoid notice. He didn't find that out, however, until after the exam. 'Once again, subtlety,' he thought wryly, 'isn't my strong suit.'

Grinning cheekily, Naruto read the first question aloud, "Which is the best choice to battle against a fire type? A Charmelons, an Icemaiden, or a Damsel." Raising his eyes from the paper, he watched as Yumi walked over to Thomas's workstation. He kept watching until a not so subtle cough directed his attention to the doctor himself. After a moment's silence, Yumi sighed and said nonchalantly, "That's a nice picture, Master." Confused, Naruto still continued to watch, waiting for them to give him a hint. Exasperated, Yumi pointed none to discreetly toward the big screen. Following her finger, Naruto had to stop from hitting himself. Sakura was right, he really was clueless sometimes.

On the sixteen foot screen was a full body picture of a human woman with alabaster skin, artic blue eyes, smallish assets, and an odd shade of blue hair. Looking more intently, he noticed absently that blue was her natural hair color. If the picture itself wasn't enough of a clue, the bold lettering, in the upper right corner of the screen was: Icemaiden. Naruto berated himself mentally for a short moment before marking Icemaiden as his answer.

The next question went much the same, as the doctor played a short movie of the end of a pokebattle where the winner chose a random pokeball from his opponent. The next question peaked Naruto's interest as to how the doctor would answer it.

"What is the preferred taming position of a feline? Missionary, Girl on top, or Kitty/doggy style?" Naruto smirked thinking that giving him a hint without crossing the boundary of giving the answers would be difficult for Thomas to do. His thought abruptly halted though, when Yumi slowly lowered herself to her hands and knees looking directly at Naruto with unabashed desire. She let go a sultry purr that tightened Naruto pants. He quickly looked away trying and failing to stifle the yelp that leapt to his throat. His embarrassment deepened as he heard Thomas laugh at his predicament.

He marked the third choice, grumbling curses all the while about sexy women and Jaraiya's influence, which only made Thomas laugh harder.

The test proceeded along without further incident as Naruto read aloud and watched the big screen or Yumi's obvious movements for hints towards the answers. When he finished the first part of the test Naruto stretched his back and neck in his chair and got ready to read the first question for the second part, but before he could, Thomas stopped him.

"The second part of the test we can't help you with at all. There is no right or wrong answers. Just answer with what first pops into your head." Confused, Naruto read the question to himself. Which would you prefer to tame: a Firemaiden or an Icemaiden? Looking further down he read another question: Which would you prefer to have in your harem: a Dominatrix or a Damsel? He read through a few more questions as he begin to sense a trend. The test was trying to determine his personality. He wondered if this meant that you could be too crazy to be a tamer, and if so, is this what the test was supposed to determine. He gave a worried glance at his hosts. They both just motioned for him to continue the test, keeping their faces blank. The ninja decided that did not bode well.

As Naruto read through the questions, he tried think of the sanest answers possible. It would be bad enough to fail the test, but it would add serious insult to injury if the test said he was crazy. He always had a small fear that all the assassinations he had carried out drove him to the brink. With the through-the looking-glass stress he was under added to it, and the pressure to pass thrown in, Naruto's anxiety peaked. He began to sweat nervously as he thought, 'Which answer would be best. Come on…come on, Naruto. Think! Can't fail this test.' Carefully studying the questions again, he found he could not make hide nor hair of any of the pokegirl types on there, and he couldn't decide what sexual positions and practices would make him seem like less of a nutbar.

As the stared as the paper, the feel of helplessness overwhelmed him. If he didn't pass, he couldn't keep his word. He had only broken it once in his lifetime, and he did not want to break it ever again. In this new, confusing world, it was the only thing he had left. He would not fail! He refused to fail! His gaze shifted to a determined glare, not unlike the one he gave to any opponent that underestimated him.

'Fuck it!' he thought, as he began marking thing down at random. He would get through this the same way he passed his first Chunnin exam: Willpower and blind luck. His hand flew across the test as gave a cursory read through of each question, answering whatever his gut told him.

As soon as he finished the test, he slammed the pencil down, stood up, and nearly shoved the test into Thomas's hand. The doctor raised an eyebrow at Naruto's antics. Looking down at the test shoved into his hands, he checked over the answers, and, as he did so, his other brow rose to meet its brother. After a moment, Thomas handed Yumi the exam. Naruto's tension accelerated to critical mass as he watched Yumi's face contort into shock, then horror. He clenched his clammy hands, and felt cold sweat run down his spine, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

"Great Sukebe, Naruto! Do you know what this means!" she exclaimed, gesticulating with her free hand toward the test.

Naruto's head bowed and his shoulders slumped. He had failed. He couldn't keep his word. It was killing him to know that the last thing he had to his name was worthless. He knew what she was going to say. He was too fucked in the head to be a tamer.

Preparing himself for the inevitable words, he mumbled, "What?"

"You're sane! It's a miracle!"

Naruto's head suddenly shot up, and his eyes found hers, as she burst in to hysterical laughter with Thomas soon mimicking her mirth. Shaking the shock from his brain, he scowled angrily. He regaled them his every nasty curse he could think of and creating a few new ones, which only caused the guffawing duo to laugh all the harder. The blonde continued to scream obscenities and rail them with violent gestures, but it was all for show. He had kept his word. Through the shouting and laughing, he felt his chest swell with warmth and relief so profound that even as he yelled, the smile was so obvious that Thomas and Yumi knew he was truly happy.

Naruto stared at the equipment Thomas had set on the worktable in front of him. After finishing his haranguing the doctor and his accomplice for their laughter at his expense, he pouted sulkily until Thomas and Yumi had composed themselves. The doctor had then walked over to a set of cabinets to the left of the door halfway to the wall. He pulled out several pieces of equipment and gear that Naruto could not guess the use of. Thomas then pulled out five pokeballs identical to the one the Nogitsune had been zapped into. Carrying it all over to a nearby worktable, he motioned Naruto over. So here they stood, with Naruto ruefully shaking his head at the foreign equipment.

The belt he could make some sense of. It had six small, round slots positioned in the middle, a customized holster on the right side, a small pouch on the left. Judging by the size and shape of the strange device next to it, Naruto figured it fit into the holster. The device itself was had a small screen on it with a small keyboard below it. Below the keyboard, the device narrowed into a handle of sorts that had a small trigger on the right side. The pouch seemed be for any miscellaneous items he felt should be on his person. The slots confused him though; he thought maybe they were to hold the pokeballs, but the small slots would not be a good fit for the larger spheres. So what were they for? There were other items on the table as well: restraints of some kind, a few drinks labeled Energy+ and Recovery, and a small bag of what looked to be dog food, which read Pokegirl Chow. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the caption beneath it: So good, it'll make your pokegirls beg. 'Somehow, I really doubt that,' he scoffed to himself. Looking from the table to Thomas, Naruto silently waited for an explanation and was not disappointed.

"Everything you see here is the standard gear issued to every new tamer," Thomas intoned. Picking up the screened device, Thomas, continued, "This is your pokedex. It is basically a hand held computer. It already has a database for all the information a new tamer needs, to include: A complete listing of every known species of pokegirl, and full interactive encyclopedia for just about anything you could want to know, fully detailed maps of Edo League, and a voice recognition and interaction system. It also doubles as you personal financial bookkeeper and means of monetary transactions.

Thomas handed the pokedex to Naruto. Gripping it by the handle, the newly minted tamer looked from it to the doctor and back.

"How does it work?"

Thomas chuckled lightly, once again reminded of just how new this all was to his blonde friend, said, "You just talk to it and it will boot up and start the registration process."

Still confused, Naruto nodded slowly before speaking tentatively to the screen.

"Hello, um, pokedex." No sooner than the words were spoken, the screen light up and began spouting words and numbers seemingly at random. Shortly after, a quick electronic melody of some major music scale or another played jauntily as it continued it's starting procedures. Staring fascinated at the screen, Naruto waited for it to finish booting. The screen went blank, and moments later, a low baritone spoke in clear voice, "Hello, user. Please state the name of the registering tamer."

Started slightly by the question, Naruto let out a surprised, "What!"

"Pokedex recognizes Tamer Identification as 'What.' Is this correct?"

Scowling at the machine, he stated, "No."

"Please state the name of the registering tamer."

Shaking his head to clear away distractions, Naruto tried again.

"Uzumaki Naruto"

"Unable to find name in database of common names. Please spell the user's name. Last name first," the device said evenly. The shinobi slowly entered his name, taking care to ensure it's correct spelling.

"Pokedex recognizes Tamer Identification as 'Uzumaki Naruto.' Is this correct?"

"Yes," he stated firmly, added a satisfied nod. The pokedex continued, "Please state name for voice recognition." Naruto repeated his name, and the device went on, "Please restate name for confirmation." Naruto spoke is name a third time. The pokedex beep a confirmation, and then was quiet for a moment.

"Hello Tamer Uzumaki Naruto. How do you wish to be addressed?"

"Um, Naruto is fine."

"Thank you, Naruto. Please hand me to the Proxy for League registration."

Confused, Naruto raised his eyes to the doctor, asking, "Who's the Proxy?" Thomas smiled, "That would be me." He took the pokedex, and walked to the workstation. Opening a small compartment on the left side of the machine, he pulled out two connector cables and attached them to the workstation.

"What are you doing, now, Doc?" Naruto asked.

"I am registering you as a new tamer in the Edo League Database. Once that is done, I have to change the registration of your pokegirl from her previous tamer to you," Thomas intoned. "In order to give you custody of the lovely young lady in the guest room, I have to take said custody from one Yoshino Ashibatta. Seeing as how his pokedex records indicate he still has a Kitsune."

"How did you get his name? Did the girl tell you?" Naruto questioned.

Yumi fielded the question, "No, but she didn't have to. Any pokeball a tamer possesses, whether being used or not, has to be registered to the tamer holding them. Her pokeball won't change registration until tamer Ashibatta changes it himself."

Naruto blanched, "But if he just gave me the ball, does that mean he still owns her?"

Nodding, Yumi continued, "Technically, yes. He could go to the police and report a stolen pokegirl and regain custody, but that wouldn't be too bright an idea."

"Why not?"

"Because he has a registered Kitsune. When the cops arrive and see that she's a Nogitsune, they'll take away custody of her and arrest him."

Naruto frowned deeply in confusion, "I still don't get it. If they see she's the way she is, they'll take away custody. Why?"

Shaking her head, Yumi sighed, "I forget that you don't know what a Nogitsune is." Motioning the blonde to follow her to one of the smaller computers by the workstation, she pulled up a picture of a pokegirl similar to the woman down the hall. Looking at it, Naruto noted some small differences, but, all-in-all, they could be twins. Yumi began with a non sequitur, "The test you took; do you remember the questions about pokegirl evolution?"

"Sort of, but I didn't have clue what the hell they were talking about."

"Well, a Nogitsune is an evolution of this pokegirl," she explained, pulling up another picture. It displayed a hybrid fox/woman mix. She had reddish-orange fur covering almost all of her. White fur started from the bottom of her slight muzzle and spread down her chest, the inner half of her bosom, and continued until rounding out at the bottom of her stomach. Her bushy tail was the same color orange, but the tip appeared to have been dipped in white matching her chest. The fur on her hands and feet, however, contrasted nicely with the rest of her; they were dark black.

Naruto recognized the picture immediately. The girl he saved looked exactly like that before she was covered in the dark chakra. That explained a lot.

"This is a Kitsune, a common pokegirl in Edo League."

Nodding, Naruto said, "That's what she looked like before."

"I would imagine so," Yuki confirmed before continuing, "Pokegirls can evolve into other pokegirls if the right criteria are met. Like a Kitten can become a Catgirl if kept happy, tamed, and gains some fighting experience, or an Eva can become any of six other types if the tamer uses a proper Evolution Stone. However, if the evolution isn't forced with a stoned, it merely takes time and effort, like the Kitten."

Naruto didn't like where this was going. If it took time for an evolution without a stone, then….

Seeing the scowl deepen on his face, Yumi knew her new friend was beginning to understand. She explained further, "Kitsunes also have a few evolutions. Most of them are improvements to their body, natural fire ability, and general demeanor. However, there is one rare evolution for a Kitsune that nobody wants. The Kitsune's tail dissolves, her fur becomes black with one white stripe down the back, and she loses her fire abilities. She also loses almost half her strength and agility. The only gain is a type of telepathic attack. It is very powerful, but extremely hard to control and focus. Worst case scenario, it disrupts the brain's ability send signals to other parts to the body, causing paralysis, brain damage, or death to anyone caught in the psychic blast. Best case scenario, just temporary disruption of motor skills.

Thomas chimed in from the workstation as he continued typing, "There have only been four recorded Nogitsunes in Edo League. All of them committed suicide using there own attack against themselves. But as a Nogitsune is a psychic type pokegirl, they have a strong mental defense. Therefore, a Nogitsune would have to literally put every once of energy into the attack to make it strong enough to destroy their own mental barrier and disrupt the brains living functions. The blasts average about ten miles in diameter, killing any living being inside that range immediately. Every time, the suicide took place in the middle of a town or city. Thousands died instantly. That's why Nogitsunes are hated and feared."

Naruto's jaw dropped. Looking intently at the picture of the Nogitsune dumbfounded, he asked, "They're capable of that? Fuck…" Shaking his head, the blonde snapped it mouth shut. He didn't need to ask why they had done it. Loneliness and Rejection were powerful enemies; ones that he almost bowed to as a child. Naruto's jaw clenched. If you can just hold on, you can fight Loneliness. You just have to find people worthy to be precious to you. And the Nogitsune had him now.

"It doesn't change anything. I'm still going to be her tamer. But why would they arrest this Yoshi guy anyway? She hasn't broken any laws, right? If treating women like _property_ is okay, what did he do? Well, besides beat a defenseless girl like punching bag," he spat the words, "That fucking low-life bastard. I mean, yeah, it would be enough for me to arrest him, but you said a tamer can treat his girls how he sees fit right?" he ventured.

Thomas stopped his typing, and fixed the young ninja with a blank look. "Even here, we have limits to abuse, Naruto. Yes, I said that a tamer can do mostly as he pleases, however, there is a law forbidding pokegirl abuse. Extreme abuse is severely punished. The only problem with enforcing that law is proving abuse has indeed taken place. They would have to pretty much catch them in the act, much as you did. But even that isn't enough sometimes, because certain pokegirls can't be tamed otherwise, such as the Dominatrix. In Yoshino's case, the pokegirl she evolved into is the proof."

Naruto froze. If that meant what he thought it did…. His hands clenched tightly, and small drops of blood leaked from his fists as his growing claws sank into his palms.

"So he... he…," Naruto stuttered.

"Indeed. A Kitsune has to be severely beaten and abused until her spirit is completely shattered in order to evolve into a Nogitsune, a process that take months or years. Yoshino had to abuse her everyday for an extended amount of time to trigger the evolution."

Turning abruptly, Naruto stomped out of the lab. Thomas was rooted to the spot by his friend's last glance: his eyes were blood red, and his pupils were slits. Naruto looked like a rabid beast. Snapping himself out of it, he rose and quickly ran after the incarnation of rage and malice Naruto had become. The footsteps behind let him know that Yumi was right behind. She had probably been as shocked as he had.

As they raced outside, the doctor and Catgirl heard Naruto before they saw him. Or rather, they heard the tree that exploded. Emerging for the complex, they saw Naruto. But it wasn't the same laughing, blue-eyed ninja that, not moments ago, was happily berating them for his being sane. This was something else entirely. Thomas and Yumi could only stand and watch as the figure radiated hate and murderous intent. Shrouded in a fiery aura of dark crimson energy, Naruto directed all that rage and destruction at the surrounding evergreens.

Yumi was rooted to the spot. That power Naruto was loosing on the hapless forest was both awing and frightening to behold. So into her trance, she missed the soft footsteps approaching. A hand gently rested on her shoulder, pulling her attention from the rampage before her. Kitsune was standing between her and the doctor, gazing sorrowfully at Naruto. Before an acknowledgement could be made, Naruto reared his head, and let loose a powerful, enraged roar of frustration that shook the very foundation of the forest. They had to cover their ears as the tortured screamed continued to grow until they could feel the sound vibrate at their very core, reaching that hidden dark place in all hearts where only the deepest pain is hidden. It broke Yumi's heart to hear Naruto's anguish cry, and her legs collapsed under her. She could not withstand the force of a pain that deep; could not fathom such deep rooted trauma. Looking to Kitsune, she saw her standing tall against the maelstrom. She noted that Thomas has fallen before the storm as she had.

After a moment, Kitsune whispered almost too quietly to hear, "Why? Why is he in pain?"

"He just passed his tamer's exam, and we were talking about Nogitsunes. When we told him that Yoshino had to abuse you daily, he flipped," Yumi whispered back.

Kitsune nodded once, never removing her eyes from the devastation before them. Then, sighing sadly, she said, "This is my fault."

Before Yumi could stop her, Kitsunes strode slowly to Naruto. Yumi and Thomas could only watch and hope that she knew what she was doing.

For Naruto, there was only Rage. Rage and a name. Yoshino. His blood must spill. Naruto wanted to rip him asunder, fangs tearing, claws slashing, bloody hands crushing. He wanted to taste Yoshino's still beating heart. His Transgression would not go unpunished.

Even in his frenzied state, Naruto knew that he couldn't find Yoshino. So he had the next best thing: a lot of trees and his rage. Once outside, Naruto let loose all his rage against every tree within reach. He pictured Yoshino's face on every tree he destroyed, but it brought little satisfaction. His frustration built, and more of the grove fell.

Why? It wasn't supposed to be like this. Only he was supposed to know this pain. That was his purpose. He was beaten so that others wouldn't have to be. He had truly believed that. It was the only things that kept him going for so many years. If he could just endure the pain, then no one else would have to. No one else would have to suffer like he had. Why? Why did she have to go through it, too? She didn't deserve it. He did. He had been chosen for this burden, been subjected to it from the moment he was born. She was forced into it. Hurt. Beaten. Yoshino had used her, then threw her away. No one should have to go through that. Only him.

Only him.

Tilting his head back, Naruto roared his frustration to the forest. As he screamed, memories, long locked away, forced themselves to the forefront of his mind. Every beating, every cut, every hate contorted face, every awakening in the trash of some alley a week later after a groups of misguided drunks used him as their stress relief. It all came back and assaulted him. His cry grew in intensity, changed from rage to a pain that threaten to strangle him.

Hearing footfalls beside him, he lowered his head in the direction they came from. He could see Kitsune walking toward him in the ambient light given off from the Kyuubi's chakra. He had saved her too late. He didn't deserve to take care of her. He just met her today, and he had already failed her. His word meant nothing.

As she drew closer, he shrank further into himself. What could he say to her? Nothing. He lowered his eyes, and waited. He didn't know why she was approaching him, but he knew that, whatever she decided to do, he would not stop her. He deserved any harsh words or angered fists. He deserved it because he could not save her. He couldn't even save himself.

He looked at his hands, and, wishing that they were stronger, waited for her to reject him.

Kitsune had to stop this. It was her fault her tamer was in pain. It was her weakness that tortured his soul. Seeing the man in front of her bleed his heart out for her, struck deep in her scarred heart and she couldn't watch him carry her burden. He was in so much pain, but she did not know how to heal it.

As she moved closer, he noticed her presence and turned his head to her. His eyes almost broke her resolve. She knew those eyes; she saw them every time she looked at her reflection. Her heart swelled momentarily with happiness. She wasn't alone. He suffered as she did, but seeing another understand her pain quickly squashed the warmth in her chest. Anguish tore through her as her guilt berated her soul. She should never be happy someone else knew the torture necessary to attain understanding of her pain.

Taking another step forward, she noticed him shrink further into himself as he slumped and lowered his gaze to his hands in agonized contemplation. He seeming to be wilting further as the study of his palms continued. She had to stop this. Now. Before he did something they both might regret. But how? She could think of nothing to say that would not sound pitifully trite.

As her frantic thought continued to go into overdrive, he dropped his arms to his sides and seemed to resign himself to despair. 'NO! I can't lose him,' she yelled in her mind. Forgetting any thoughts of something to say, she threw herself across to final distance, through the almost burning heat of his aura. She crashed roughly into him, wrapping her arms around his middle, and burying her head into his chest.

Suddenly, all was still. The ethereal flames that had engulfed Naruto died instantly. The only sounds Kitsune could hear were Naruto's rapid heartbeat and her own muffled breathing.

Naruto stared at the ground before him, frozen. His hands remained at his sides as he tried to reconcile his sense of reality to some kind of coherency. The rage was gone. The despair stifled. The anguish receded to a dull ache in his psyche.

He had expected any number of actions from the woman who had confronted him, but not this. Anger, hate, pity, loathing, disdain, contempt; all these he could handle. But sympathy? Understanding? It didn't make any sense. He had failed her. Wasn't she supposed to hate him? Maybe she didn't know he had failed her. Maybe she didn't know he was weak.

Slowly, he brought his arms up, and encircled her slight frame. Resting his cheek on the soft hair on her head, he prepared himself to tell her he didn't deserve her sympathy. Then she would rip herself from his embrace.

For now though, he would allow himself accept the comfort until she removed herself from him.

"I failed you," he whispered into her hair.

"You saved me," was her mumble reply.

"Not soon enough."

At his last phrase, Kitsune lifted her head from his chest. She captured his gaze and whispered, "It was the only time you could. You saved me. And now we both have a chance to start over."

"I'm weak."

"So am I."

"I don't know if I can protect you."

"I'll take that chance."

Trembling, Naruto lifted his hand from her back to gently caress her slight muzzle.

He spoke in a low tone, saying, "I don't want to hurt you. I wouldn't survive if I did. I promised I would protect you, but I don't know if I have the strength. Could you live with that? Could bind yourself to such a weak person?"

"You are not weak. You would not have taken me from Yoshino if you were. I believe in your strength. I know you will protect me. And I want to protect you. I may be useless, but whatever I am, I will devote it to you, Master."

Smiling weakly, Naruto nodded. After a moment, he chuckled slightly and said, "I don't even know your name."

"I don't have one. Yoshino took my name. I answer to Kitsune. If you want to give me a new name, I will wear it proudly. It will claim me completely from him."

"Then I will have to think of something worthy of you. Sound good to you, Kit?

Smiling softly, Kitsune murmured, "Kit. I like that."

Once again, Kitsune lowered her head to Naruto's chest, and listened to the now slow beat of his heart and rolling her new name around her head.

Holding her close, Naruto closed his eyes and listened to the wind breathe through the trees as it sang a soothing lullaby.

Thomas felt as through he had stepped through reality into a dream. As the drama played out before him, the forest took on a surreal quality. The trees seemed to pulse in response to the terrible power's ebb and flow. He watched with fascinated awe as Kitsune approached the epicenter of the storm where Naruto paused in his rampage to observe the intrusion into his personal raging inferno. His inspection switched to his palms, and then finally to the scorched earth at his feet.

The doctor gasped quietly when Kitsune threw herself at the young man chests, diving unchallenged through the fiery aura.

The chaos surrounding Naruto died as though some unseen force snuffed the flames as suddenly as a light is switched off. The following silence pervaded the woods with an otherworldly quality. No birds chirped their soft goodnight; no wild Growlies called to each other in the distance and only the softest breeze rustled the leaves overhead. The forest seemed the stand still, an audience captivated by the actors on the stage. Thomas hardly dared breathe, fearful of drawing attention from the main stage, where Naruto wrapped his arms around the heroine, holding her protectively to him.

Observing the pair, Thomas couldn't help but feel as though he was witnessing the beginning of something. He couldn't figure what that something was, but he knew it was important. Something larger than them all was at work here. Some invisible hand was directing this play as they unwittingly played their parts, and was guiding them to Act II.

Seeing Naruto and Kitsune release each other and walk toward him, Thomas stood straighter and prepared to continue his role. Whatever this entity that brought them together had in store for them, he would met it head on, chin up, and determined to be standing with everyone else when the curtain came down.

'_May you live in interesting times, _indeed,' he thought wryly.


End file.
